A Million Ways To Say I Love You
by Something Greater
Summary: A thousand foot drop, a sickly bear, a humiliating attack, and a bone chilling lake. What's this? A series of shorts ficlits with all the pairings you want to see, and then some you can't handle.
1. Zutara

**Zutara--Zuko x Katara**

From Katara to Zuko

For one instant, I see your life through your eyes.

I see fear not meant for me, but etched into your features, buried beneath your harsh red mark. I touch your scar, and you don't pull away. It seems that you've always been afraid of someone, something greater than you. Your sister? Your father? Both, it seems, and of not coming home. I always figured that the great but banished Prince Zuko considered himself above everyone, even the Firelord. To my credit, you certainly acted that way, bold and self-centered. I wonder if it's your lack of compassion that cost you your honor and branded you with that scar. It's doubtful--more likely you were in a training accident. But this many emotions wouldn't be tied into the memory of a mere accident. It must have been something else.

I sense struggle. You've really fallen, prince Zuko. Once you were the heir to the Firenation throne, but now look at you. Trapped in a cave with a Watertribe peasant, imprisoned by your own sister. Your younger sister, no less. Where is your uncle? Nearly whenever I saw you, he was not far in the background. Have you always traveled with him? That's a smart move, forming alliances with a general. Has he kept you safe up till now? I bet he has, but you haven't appreciated him. That's how you are. You two have been through much hardship together, more in the last few months than, I can guess, in your entire life. You've had to fight, and that's made you strong.

Even after all this, you are still determined. That's amazing--if I'd been through what you've been through, I'm not sure I would possess the same drive you have to get the old life back. We're alike, you and I, but not that alike. Are you still trying to regain your honor, or have you settled down, looked for a more peaceful beginning? Your features seem softer than when I first met you. You can take that as a compliment if you want, because it is. It means that you've grown less unloving to the world, and kinder at heart. That sounds incredibly sentimental, but that's exactly what's been done.

Beneath all these layers, you possess one last feeling, but it is small, almost miniscule, and suffocated by its brothers. It is hope. Have you forgotten it? Hope should be embraced, Prince Zuko, and used to the fullest. It is the thing that keeps me from crying at night, even when the odds are not in my favor. Sometimes I look at Aang and think that there's no possible way he can master the elements in time to beat the Firenation. When I feel that way, I turn to the moon, for she gives me hope. You once said that I rise with the moon and you rise with the sun, but wouldn't that make us polar opposites? Opposites can't be as similar as we are Zuko. Although you might not want to admit it now, and though you will probably deny it later, we've faced some of the same battles.

Let me heal your scar.

But first, let us move closer...

* * *

Do you have a request for a pairing ficlet? I take any and all, just send a reply! 


	2. Tophang

**Tophang--Toph x Aang (Also known as Taang.)**

From Toph to Aang

What Katara didn't know, was that I was just as torn up as she was.

You had always been my earthbending student, and our relationship was left at that. Neither of us had any desire to take it further, not so much as a step, and I was fine with the decision.

Positively fine.

Absolutely, positively fine.

So absolutely, positively fine that I was about to crack from the absolutely, positively fine-ness of it all.

I wasn't fine.

See, I'd secretly hoped that maybe we could be more than just stiff acquaintances. Not much more, just friends. You tried, I sincerely think you did, but I messed it up. Always. I'd yell and bark orders and take advantage of you when it was convenient, which I suppose couldn't exactly be considered as returning the favor.

It wasn't my fault, not really. You shouldn't have been so cheery all the time. It annoyed me to the ends of the earth, and sometimes I really did want to hit you, beat some manners into your thick skull. You needed to learn that it's not polite to smile at someone when they are obviously emotional and have no want for company. That one gesture might accidentally, in some odd way, force that person into a good mood they had no business being in. That happened quite a lot between you and I, and I'd hate you more and more every time.

But then tonight someone whispered to me of the burnt hole in your back and the life gone from your form, and everything but heartbreak disappeared from my soul. I would have touched you, just a gentle brush to say goodbye, but I couldn't move. My place was with Sokka, and reaching out to you would destroy the natural order I'd worked so hard to preserve. I was wrong for holding back, I know, but changing things wouldn't help anyone.

As if things hadn't already been changed enough.

I was a bit naive for wishing that after Katara healed you, you and I would develop something new. As I thought about it, I realized I had no idea what the 'something new' was, nor did I care, so long as it was warmer than he forced pleasantries of before.

But then I heard you hug her. The wind altered slightly, the atmosphere changed, and I knew some superior deity was playing against me. It always was.

It's understandable that the first thing you did after your resurrection was to embrace your savior. That's all I wanted to believe, that you only liked Katara because you felt you owed her something. But it was plain in you're your voice, your actions that you loved her, really loved her, and not as a mother either. The evidence had always been right there in front of my face, but I purposely overlooked it, clinging to one last shred of hope.

And now, I listen to you sleep beside her, I have to wonder:

If I had not hidden behind my tough exterior, my fierce reputation, my brash words, would things have been different?

There's no way to know.

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Enjoyed the ficlet? Send a request in with your reply of some of the pairings you would like to see. So far I have Kataang (Katara x Aang), Zutara, (Zuko x Katara) and Ty Lokka (Sokka x Ty Lee), but I need more. More daring ones, pairs that force you to think outside of the box and go, "Man, was I high when I thought that up?" Of course, I'll also do the normal pairings, just as long as I get a good amount of replies and requests.

Speaking of replies, how about you drop me one?

Press the button. You know you want to.


	3. Ty Lokka

**Ty Lokka--Ty Lee x Sokka**

From Ty Lee to Sokka

"It's like we're dancing," I tell him, reaching out, but in reality, what we're doing is much more than that. It's fighting, me against him with my sole motivation being to please Azula. This boy, the avatar's friend, probably has a name, but I don't remember what it is, if I ever learned it. That doesn't matter anyway; what does is his face.

It's handsome, light brown as if he has a tan, and with strong features. Bright blue eyes stare at me as we dance, and it's like he's looking into my...what was that word? Oh, yes.

Soul.

But it's not all appearances; he is brave, too. He travels with the avatar, so I suppose he would have to be. And that thing on his back--the thing that's secured within a case of some sort and held on a strap--what is it? It's strange, and I really would like to look at it, all flirtations aside. Maybe I should show it to Mai, but she wouldn't care. She's the most depressing person I've ever met, and her aura is pitch black, depressing. Mine, of course, is pink, but it dulls with every passing day that I spend with Azula.

Everything I've done lately seems to have been for the princess, and to tell the truth, I'm sick of it. I left the circus for her, and now I'm doing her bidding, fighting a boy I might really like. It's not right. I'd leave if I could, but I can't. I just can't. She might need me here, and the universe sent me very strong signs that it was time for a career change when she came to me in the first place. It was fate.

I look into at him and try again to press a pressure point, but he cleverly dodges my attack. Actually, he bends over backwards until it looks like his back might snap, but that works fine, as I can't touch him in that position.

It's impossible to say no to Azula. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with sweat streaming down my face, mixed with frightened tears because I had another bad dream about lightning. Whenever she shoots it, I bite my lip and die inside because I know I'll be trapped in nightmares many hours later about that very electricity. It's horrible, just as awful as what I'm doing now to this boy. I have him now. He's getting tired.

_I can't say no to Azula,_ I want to tell him, _even though I'd really like to_. I sigh, and whisper in my head, hoping maybe he'll hear it as I lash out once again:

I'm sorry. I really am.

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Tell me what you thought. I'd also like to hear what ships you guys would like to read, so pass me a review and tell me about it.


	4. Jetara

**Jetara--Jet x Katara**

--Takes place during A City of Walls and Secrets--

From Katara to Jet

The glue sticks fast to my palms as I plaster a poster onto a nearby building, and I'm beginning to get woozy from the smell. I ignore it and smooth down the paper; right now, Aang and his missing bison are more important than my personal problems. I will meet up with him as soon as I finish, and hopefully we'll get a lead on Appa's location. Everything seems to be going relatively well for our situation, but then I hear someone behind me.

"Katara." The voice is familiar, too familiar, and I know whom the speaker is before I even turned around. "I think I can help you."

You say it so sincerely that for a split second, I almost believe you, but then I come to my senses. We've been through too much together, none of it as noble as you make it out to be. I trusted you once, but I won't make that mistake again.

I raise a wave of clear water and send it at you full force. You scream, but it won't do any good, as I, for once, have the upper hand. Admit it--you are at my mercy, and I am far from feeling generous. You say you've changed, but I don't believe you, not a word. You still walk like a rebel, and your hair still hangs messily in your face, and your weapons are still at your side, and absolutely every syllable that bursts from your lips is pure fiction. You're still the same Jet, I'm still the same Katara, and not even time can change the facts.

The current sends you down an alley, where you are trapped, and my opportunity is well at hand. I sling disc after disc of water at you with no intention of relenting. Finally you'll get what you deserved. "Tell it to some other girl, Jet." The liquid turns to ice-made daggers at my fingertips, which are all the better and cause more pain.

"I don't want to fight you. I'm here to help." You smash away the icicles with your tiger head hook swords, then cross the strange silver items in an x and throw them to the dirt, a known sign of surrendering. I watch you, still ready to resume the one-sided fight, but you don't say anything. Instead, you reach in your pockets.

Another trick.

I pin you to the wall, ice needles driving through your shirt and into the building behind you. I smirk inwardly at this trivial victory on my part for, although it has not made up for the countless lives you took, it offers a small taste of revenge.

Where are your cronies? Where are the rest of the mighty Freedom Fighters? They've abandoned you, haven't they? Now you know what it's like to be turned on. Imagine that same feeling multiplied a hundred times and driven on a stake through your heart, and then you'll see how I felt when you revealed your true nature. There's no going back, Jet. You've hurt me, and you can't destroy the past. You can only live with it, like I've tried to. That is, if I let you live. Why should I, after you beat a harmless old man in the forest, after you plotted to flood a village, after you tried to make hostages out of my friends and me?

What's more, I still loved you.

I should kill you now.

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I'd like to know what types of pairings you guys would like to see. A Kataang is on its way, and possibly a crack! ship… I'm thinking Sokka x Cactus Juice, because I saw a plot bunny the other day and I think I could make something out of it. Tell me what you think of this, won't you?


	5. Kataang

**Kataang--Katara x Aang**

From Aang to Katara

My eyes open blearily, and my first instinct is to squeeze them shut again, to slip into the calm I'd just left. But then I see your face, soft and graceful, a silhouette against the onyx background. I don't know where we are, and my mind is too clouded to think properly, but it seems late and we appear to be moving. Flying.

_I'll fly the world over with you_, I say inside my head, forgetting the decision I'd made to give you up. Right now I don't care about my chakras or the war as long as I'm here with you, wherever we are.

An eternity passes in a second as you stare at me with disbelieving eyes, and I begin to remember glimpses of what happened. Not much, just...light, lots of light. I recall opening a floodgate of emotion upon myself, then entering the Avatar State in a brilliant display of power. I wanted to save you, to shield you from the Dai Li. We were in some sort of cave, but the details are fuzzy and it hurts to think. After that, pain, searing pain, shot straight up my body and white danced forever before me. Where I went next is unclear, but I picture emptiness, an eternity of nothing. Is that what death is like?

_Death._ I want to speak of it, spill its name from my tongue, but coming to a realization is difficult, and the words do not come. Then it hits me all at once: I'd been dead. How long, I don't know. I'm not even sure if what's happening now is real or some cruel dream, and I desperately feel like crying. You hold me gently for a long time, and for that I am grateful.

The wind changes directions as we touch. Is that a sign, an omen of some sort? If it is, I sincerely hope it means coming good for the both of us, as well as our relationship. On the other hand, if it foretells your marriage to Jet, Haru, or Zuko, then so be it. I'll smile as long as you do, and I'll laugh as long as you're happy. In fact, maybe it would be better if we stayed friends, that way I can perform my avatar duties and you can have everything you've ever wanted.

I suppose you believe I'm nothing more than a little kid. Well, this 'little kid' just lost his life and wonders if he has the courage to keep it now that it's been restored to him. The truth is, I have no clue as to how long this will last or on what conditions.

I break away from you, wondering if I can ever go on, but you lean me back on a tuft of warm fur and give strength. Blue shines at me through the darkness, and now I know I cannot leave you abandoned. I will fight the Firelord, I will free the world, and, most of all, I will protect you.

I close my eyes._ You are beautiful._

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What pairings do you want to see? I want to know!

Tell me which characters you would like to see together, and I'll write the fic.


	6. Yokka

_Written at WaterPrincess-EarthQueen's request._

**Yokka--Sokka x Yue**

From Sokka to Yue

--Takes place during Seige of the North part one--

Always the gentleman, I help Yue up the bison first, then grab the reins. She appears bewildered, as if she's never seen a creature quite like Appa. Although that's understandable and rather unremarkable, I cheer inside my head at the fact that I've impressed her, and bite back a foolish grin when she asks, "So how does this work?"

"Are you hanging on tight?"

She nods. "Mm-hmm."

"Yip." I shift my gaze straight forward. "Yip."

The great beast lifts us into the air, and we sail lightly over sparking water and ice-formed palaces. The sea beneath us, many feet down, laps and curls with the natural current. Fish, I know, are playing under the surface, but even they could not be as pleased as I when I see Yue's eyes shine at the scenery. "Oh my goodness."

I smirk inwardly, but do not show it.

"Wow," the princess continues, breathless. "I can't believe you do this every day."

Sometimes, neither can I. Aang, Katara, and I have spent the majority of our journey flying from one destination to another with little thought of the in-between. Even though I'd not paid attention to most of the trips, I managed to view a surprising amount of sights. Canyons, temples, forests...when this silly war is over, I will take Yue with me to all those places, and then some. She'll be amazed, awed, and above all, happy. "Yeah, we pretty much live up here."

Yue shivers, trembles in the shoulders, but I must stop myself from reaching out to her just yet. There's too much to loose. Better not risk it. She looks so helpless, though, when she hugs her arms. "Is it always this cold in the sky?"

She does a strange thing next, slides closer to me and grabs gentle hold of my arm. I feel her soft fingers press on to my coat, but just barely, and I wonder how in the world I got so lucky. _You're not exactly lucky yet,_ the voice of reasoning chastises. _She's still engaged and you've not moved up from the postition of water peasant, at least not in the eyes of everyone else._

I ignore it, as usual, because no eyes matter besides my Yue's, the crystal-tinted ones that glow above pickened cheeks. A hint of a smile dances at her lips, so slight that it's nearly impossible to spot. My voice is scarcely above a whisper, unwilling to poison the silence. "Not if you're with someone."

She turns to face me. "It's beautiful up here."

_You're_ beautiful up here, I refrain from saying, letting out a mere "Yeah" and hoping that will suffice.

Slowly, painstakingly slowly, I move towards her. Our heads are bent upwards, our necks craned to receive each other's kiss. My hand wants to stroke her hair, and I almost let it, but at the last moment guilt settles in. I hasten to straighten up and clumsily trip over my own words. "Ahh, good times, good times."

She doesn't respond, but not due to conscience. No, the white clouds are swirling with unnatural gray, and ash tumbles to the ground. It falls all around us, slicing in dense masses among the snow. I hate it, loathe it, detest it, for it has ruined my outing more than I ever could. It has polluted the air. Worse of all, it collects on top of the pure buildings of the Northern Water Temple...

I lean to brush some of the ashes from Yue's clothes, then pull back.

...covering what is already beautiful and making it ugly.

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What pairings do you, the readers, want to see? I take requests, and would like to know.


	7. Ty Luko

_As requested by Childe at Heart_

**Ty Luko--Ty Lee x Zuko**

--Takes place during Tales of Ba Sing Se--

From the confusion that is Zuko

"Why were you traveling so much?" Jin looks at me curiously from across the table.

"We were, uh..." I search for an excuse, any excuse, but find nothing. I can't say that my psychotic sister is chasing me, or that I've been banished by the Firelord, or that my entire future could hinge on the capture of a twelve-year-old boy. Jin is still waiting for an answer, so I blurt the first thing that comes to mind. "...Part of this traveling circus." Instantly my thoughts flash to Ty Lee, put I shove away the memories and focus on the date.

"Really? What did you do? Wait, let me guess." Jin taps her chin for a moment, then points to me as if she's had a sudden epiphany. "You juggled."

That sounds vaguely like something Ty Lee would do, so I don't shoot down the notion. Still, I'm not completely eager as I cross my arms and manage to say stiffly, "Yes. I juggled."

"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle," Jin confides hopefully. Can't she ever give it a rest? "Can you show me something?" She promptly produces three bottles and holds them out.

I reluctantly accept the items and proceed to make an embarrassing attempt at the sport. It is awkward and clumsy, and the glass comes crashing down on my head. "I haven't practiced for a while." I lie, and refrain from saying: _Maybe Ty Lee will teach me to do it properly later._

"It's all right." Jin lights up as she speaks, and for a second I think she is going to tell me about her aura. "Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city."

Before I have a chance to object, she grabs my hand and jerks me forward, through an alley, past a long row of buildings, under the light of the moon. "I'm so excited for you to see the Firelight Fountain," she gushes. "The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way." She seems so young, so naive, that it crushes me when we get to the fountain and all the lights are extinguished.

Her bottom lip trembles slightly. "I can't believe it. They aren't lit." As if hadn't noticed.

I hear a voice whisper in my ear, but no one is there. Am I hearing things?

It comes a second time, low, but calm, and I recognize it at once. "So cute together." The only time I've heard Ty Lee say that is when I was fourteen, and Azula tricked me into pushing Mai into a pool. Back then, Ty Lee had been talking about Mai and me when she said we were cute together, but I know what she means now even if she's not here to see it.

Ty Lee and I are too different to be together. She's fun-loving and perky, while I...I've heard people call me the Prince of Darkness behind my back. She's been free-spirited and happy-go-lucky for as long as I've known her, always jumping at a chance, any chance. She'd want me to take a risk with Jin, probably because she hates when I worry. Love can make a man forget his troubles. I should know.

"Close your eyes," I instruct Jin, and she obeys, covering the top half of her face with her palms. "And don't peek," I add as a precaution. If she found out I was a firebender and turned me in, I'd never get to see anyone from back home, including Ty Lee. I can't have that, so I light the lamps as swiftly as possible. "Okay. Now you can look."

"Oh wow," she exclaims breathlessly, her expression that of awe. "What happened? How did they light? How did you..." She looks at me disbelievingly, and my heart hammers in my chest; has she figured it out? I smile nervously to put her at ease, and--thank goodness--she turns back to gaze at my handiwork.

The orange flickers both on the wicks and in the water, casting an eerie glow about the entire scene. It is beautiful. Ty Lee would have loved it, but I mustn't wander to the past right now. I am putting her behind and moving forward on my own.

As we get closer and Jin becomes ever bolder, I feel the gentle touch of her fingers intertwining with mine. It is no accident, I find, when she leans in. Am I going to be kissed? I panic, but refuse to let it show. _Keep your head_,_ Zuko._ _It's all you have left._ She appears as if she's going to get a little too friendly, so I reach in my pocket for a last resort.

"I brought you something." I slip the coupon between us and exhale a small sigh of relief when she stops. "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."

She looks a bit hurt, and I wonder what Ty Lee would say of me if I made this girl cry. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, it depends on which way you spin it.) Jin bounces back quickly. After a small explanation on my part, the corners of her lips tweak up slyly. "I have something for you, too. Now it's your turn for you to close your eyes."

I hesitate, then do so. Anything to get her off my back. I have no idea what is going on, until something soft presses against my lips. I return the gesture, just for a moment to see what it's like, but I can't do it. I can't. I pull back and walk away, not very far, but enough for her to get the message.

"What's wrong?"

"It's complicated." I leave it at that, hoping she'll understand without getting too upset. "I have to go."

As much as I want to forget, Jin is simply not Ty Lee.

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I take requests! Leave me a reply with the pairings you would like to see and I'll try to write and post it as soon as possible. All pairings welcome.


	8. Jetara 2

**Jetara 2--Jet x Katara**

_As requested by aznanime-eyes_

--Takes place during Lake Laogai--

The wall slides open, and I expect to see Aang fighting Long Feng inside. My pouch at my hip, I am ready to help, but something isn't right. The avatar is crouched near some sort of figure... What is it? As I look closer, I see Jet's body, rigidly straight on the ground. Without thinking, I rush forward, my instincts telling me to cut down the one who did this. The others must have realized at the same time I did, for they immediately follow in my trail.

I'm not ezactly sure what's wrong with him, but I know it's not good, and I know I must find a way to help. I whip out a flow of water and use my hands to float it over his chest. Beneath the liquid, his body is losing heat.

_Please don't die. Please don't die. I'm sorry for all the horrible things I've said about you, Jet, but whatever you do, please don't die_. Why, oh why, did I attack him today? I should have embraced him, but instead I pinned him to the wall with a fistful of ice-daggers. I should've told him how much I've missed him. I should've thanked him for his offer to help. I should have kissed--

_Enough, Katara,_ I chide myself, _focus on the task at hand_. I roll the water three times over him, but it does nothing except for break my heart. "This isn't good."

"You guys go find Appa," Smellerbee offers. "We'll take care of Jet."

"We're not going to leave you," I tell the pair. I can't leave, not after how I acted. Jet deserves to have an entire audience at his side, and if all I can give is myself, then I'll do just that.

"There's no time. Just go." I think this is the first time I've ever heard Longshot speak. "We'll take care of him. He's our leader."

"Don't worry, Katara." Jet's voice is soft, his spirit resolved to its fate. "I'll be fine." He sends a tiny crook of a smile my way.

I remember what we used to have--the trees, the forest, that one occasion when he hugged me close and showed me his home—and I realize we'll never have anything like it again. _How upset were you when you lost your village to Firenation soldiers_, I ask silently. _Were your dreams crushed, all hope gone?_ That's how I feel now, and I hate it. That's how I felt when my mother died, and I loathed it, then, too. Jet and I, we shared a common goal: to be rid of the Firenation. We just took different routes to get there.

_You tried, Jet. You tried and that's all that matters._ I refrain from saying this only because he's not gone yet, and I don't want him to be. _Believe it or not, you did some good in the world, even if it was muddled up with all the evil you put into it._

I want to touch his skin, but I can't bring myself to do it. He's forbidden. I let him down before and he's dying for it; I have no right to get near him now. I should've been here when he and Aang were dueling Long Feng, but I wasn't. Maybe if I had, Jet would be healthy instead of hurt, laughing instead of dying.

Dying. That word is poison that brings tears to my eyes. I hold back on the crying, at least not yet. Jet doesn't need to see me weaken and buckle all because of him. I want him to know how I feel, but it's too late. If no one was watching, I'd push my lips to his in a goodbye. As it is, I can only nod.

_He said he'll be fine_, I remind myself. _Toph would know if it wasn't the truth._ Jet's mischievous eyes begin to loose light, and I really, really want to believe him.

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Did you like it? Tell me! Do you have a pairing you would like to see, even if it's already been posted? I want to know that, as well.

I aim to please!


	9. Kataang 2

_Requested by an anonymous reviewer._

**Kataang 2--Katara x Aang**

--Takes place during The Deserter--

"Now that's firebending!" I grin, slashing the air with my fiery whip. I don't see what the big deal is--it's harmless. I begin to juggle balls of flame, with skill outshining that of any true firebender.

"Aang, you'll hurt yourself!" Katara warns from the shore.

I ignore her and continue to play, getting rather good at the sport. "Wonder how the juggler did it?"

It doesn't matter, for I know that I can do it. I loop the flames in a circle around me and force it outward. _Magnificent,_ I think. This entire time people have feared the Firenation, when there's really nothing to their little game. Anyone could learn this if they tried hard enough. _It's the easiest to master of all the elements!_ I am ready to launch another attack, when my first grows larger and spins out of control.

The fire engulfs Katara, and her hands thrown to her face do little for protection. Even though she cowers behind them, I can make out her eyes, wide, when they snap open.

She falls to her knees, crying out in pain. _Oh no, please no, don't let me have hurt her. She'll never forgive me, no. Make her okay. Make it a dream. She's not really burnt... You didn't burn her, Aang. You couldn't have--you're just a novice._ My naive thoughts do nothing in the way of consolation. I am going to pay for this, sooner or later. Already the ground beneath my feet seems hotter, and I hope to the skies that my heels aren't flaming by themselves. I want to check, to be positive that my powers aren't developing their own mind, but I don't. My gaze won't stray from the crumpled Waterbender, no matter how hard I push it.

Why do I always wind up hurting the ones I loved? Gyatsu, the monks, the entire world even, save for the firebenders. Now I see why they have so much authority: They're nothing but a load of brutish monsters. They value power above virtue, wealth above honesty, and fight head-on without remorse. I could never learn to love those things, not if it means causing so much destruction. _I will never firebend again; I'll win the war some other way._

Is that decision stupid? Quite possibly, but it's a risk I vow to forever take, starting now. "The safety of one is not before the safety of many," one of my old teachers used to say, but I cannot live by that. Enough people have died because of my absence. None will die at my hand.

_I should have listened to Katara_, I realize, all too late. Tears trickle down her face at the burns soon-to-blister, but still I am unable to look away. _You had a swell time disobeying Jeong Jeong, Aang, and now you must pay the consequences. Or is it that Katara will have to pay the consequences?_ She shouldn't suffer because of me, yet she is. I walk over to her as she sobs, eager for a way, any way, to fix the problem.

"Katara, I'm so sorry--" I start, but Sokka cuts me off furiously.

"What did you do?"

I try to explain, but the words come out, a jumbled, tripped, and slurred mess. The girl's brother tackles me as I reach to place a desperate hand on Katara's shoulder.

"I told you we shouldn't mess around with this! Look what you did! You burned my sister!"

She gets up suddenly, unable to take it anymore, and flees. This time I have to force myself to watch, and when do, I want to cry.

This is all my fault.


	10. Zoph

_Requested by WaterPrincess-EarthQueen and Amethyst Angel_

**Zoph--Zuko x Toph**

--Takes place during Tales of Ba Sing Se--

Alike, and then, not.

Although they'd come from different backgrounds, opposing sides, the pair shared much in common. Both Toph and Zuko had been raised in high-ranking families, and both had gone from them. Admittedly, their reasons for departure were far different, one having been banished, the other run away, but an invisible bond would forever be built off this fact. The head of rock belonged to the youngest Bei Fong, while the shriveled heart was that of the firenation prince. Neither knew exactly what passed between them one day on the bridge--a change in the air perhaps, or a slight drop of temperatute?

No, none of these.

Zuko peered cautiously around the corner, his swords at his sides in case that crazy boy, Jet, took it in his mind to stalk him again. Having already swept the shop in preparation for the day's opening, Zuko had been forced out of his comfort zone and into the streets for a basket of groceries. Seething, he recalled his uncle's constant want to get his nephew a nice "lady friend".

"I don't need anyone." Zuko looked down at the wicker he was carrying. "As if I'd be regarded as anything but a fool with this." At the sound of approaching company, he dropped the basket and pressed his back against the alley wall, his good eye trained for signs of the enemy. A handful of voices, some whispers, some jeers, flew at his ears. Two girls kept their heads down and strolled along a small bridge as calls followed after them.

_Where have I seen that blue dress before?_ It seemed vaguely familiar to Zuko as he gripped the handles of his swords and looked on.

"And you know what else is a good one?" The shorter of the two females, this one clad in green, struck the stone beneath her feet.

"All that make-up should be used only on a clown," Zuko muttered under his breath. "I'm sure I've seen those two befo--"

Shrieks rang out, and then came a gigantic splashing of water. From where he was positioned, he couldn't see the hole form in the bridge, yet he had to laugh at the screams; cruelty ran in his veins, swam in his blood. While he was mid-cackle, the earthbender turned straight towards him, but looked away after less than a second.

_She's seen me, but she doesn't know who I am. I am safe, for she will never find out,_ Zuko assured himself, but his stomach would not settle. Her eyes, milky, seemed to know exactly who he was while he crouched down, but even that wouldn't shake the unrest he received from the stare. Something wasn't right. "If she is in contact with my sister, I shall pierce her neck with my own weapon." The promise forced a smile upon his lips as he imagined murdering a young girl.

_That is disgusting, Prince Zuko_, he pictured General Iroh telling him. _Would you really do that to someone you do not know?_

"I would, uncle, I would." The young man readied his weapons and sliced the handle from the basket on the ground. Of course his blades were sharp enough to make the cut, and he attacked with deadly precision. _That will make it all the sweeter when I get her on the first try._ For if this girl told his sister of his location, he would be captured, he'd never restore his honor, and all would be lost.

As Toph walked with Katara, she couldn't help but to feel anxious. She sensed unnatural vibrations, light and quick, but they stopped when she stopped, or soon after. Was someone following them? When she could no longer take the suspicion in her mind, she turned sharply on her heel and glared at any who dared come closer. Unfortunately, being blind, she could not see Zuko, barely five feet away, wielding his swords. She felt him, felt him through the ground and--

_She's blind_, Zuko realized with a shock as he studied her face. _Her eyes will never fall on me_. When he snapped out of his initial surprise, he remembered that her companion, whoever she was--_why can't I recall her?_--most likely had sight.

"What are you looking at, Toph?" Concerned, Katara turned to see why her friend paused. The area around them was completely empty, save for the odd merchant cart and stray city dweller wandering amongst the shops. "Is something wrong?"

Toph waited a long time before she shook her head slowly. "No. There's no one there." She neglected to mention that she'd picked up the tremors of his footsteps when the silent watcher fled. "No one."

Breathing heavily behind a crate, with his body bathed in shadow and slates of wood obstructing his view, Zuko watched the intruders leave. They'd long since disappeared into the next paved street before he emerged from his hiding spot. _So strange, that girl had been_, he reflected, _And what's more_,

_Her eyes will never fall on me._

---------------------

What pairings do you want to see? I'm running out of requests and would really like to continue posting drabbles to this story. I can't do that if I don't know what you guys like. Send in a reply with the name of a pairing—any pairing—you'd want to have written, and I'll write it as soon as possible.


	11. Sokkula

_As requested by Amethyst Angel_

**Sokkula Part One--Sokka x Azula**

I know she's technically Aang's greatest enemy, and I know she's the princess of the Firenation, and I know she's attempted murder dozens, possibly hundreds, of times.

But Azula is just so, so...what's the word?

Fiery? No.

Electrifying? No.

Oh, yes--

hot.

Okay, okay. Bad pun, Sokka, as Katara would say, but it's true. There's something about a dominating woman that drives me wild. Sure, Yue, was pretty, and Suki was tough, but next to Azula, they're light little feathers. I haven't seen either of them for quite a while, and it doesn't help that one is dead.

But Azula. She is right _there_.

_No, Sokka. No, Sokka. No, Sokka_. I bang my head several times with my boomerang to rid it of forbidden thoughts. I'm getting too desperate. She killed the avatar, for crying out loud!

As Katara had described the event, with tears spilling over and bottom lip trembling, I couldn't help but think it was brilliant. I mean, waiting until Aang entered the Avatar State before she shot lightning at his completely vulnerable form had to be noting short of genius. Evil genius, at that.

Arg! It's just so complicated! The decision between Aang and Azula should be easy, good verses bad, but it's not. There are other factors that tie in: Suki, my sister, the gang. I'm torn.

Why am I even considering Azula! She's a killer, a cold-blooded firebender that deserves to be captured and locked up. She's mentally unstable and probably has a complex of some sort, I remind myself. I'd do best to stay away. Despite this logic, I cannot come to rest until the matter is settled.

Growing more and more miserable by the second, I burrow into a tuft of Appa's warm fur. Hopefully sleep will grace me soon.

It doesn't. My eyes stay open for another hour or so, my conscience working furiously, till I can't stand it anymore. I have to talk to someone about this now, but none are awake.

I frown and leap to my feet. "I have a problem." No one stirs. "Sokka has a problem! Wake up!"

Toph is the only one to respond, and does so irritably. "Why do you always have to put yourself first?"

"I'm not--"

"Then stop trying to be in charge." She grumbles under her breath and turns over, and within seconds she's snoring again.

_Stop trying to be in charge..._ I ponder this.

_Azula_ is the one in charge.

Compared to her, my tiny bit of authority is absolutely nothing. With her, I am not the head man, for once. I don't have to worry about protecting anything but my own skin. That's exactly how I felt when I saw how she had control. It's not a bad feeling, really--it's actually kind of nice.

Azula cares for nobody. If I could guess, I'd say that she was raised as the favorite child and told not to trust a soul. Imagine her coming over to our side, I think humorously. That would be the day.

I smile. I've always liked a challenge.

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Thank you to all that sent in a review or request. Remember: I am still taking requests. Tell me the name of the pairings you'd like to see, and I'll try to get it up as soon as possible.


	12. Karu

_Written at the request of thetemptedangel_

**Karu--Katara x Haru**

--Takes Place During Imprisoned--

Thank you.

I say and mean that with a full heart. Even if I said it a thousand times to her face, it still wouldn't be enough. My family, we are whole again, and I owe it all to her.

Katara.

In my mind, that name is now synonymous with brilliance. Bravery. Strength. Love.

Rebellion against the Fire Nation dwelled heavily in everyone's thoughts at one point or another, but she was the only one to actually carry out a plan. Us? We flinched at any sign of our captors, and spit at them behind their backs. That isn't bravery; it's cowardice. We _are_ cowards next to her, and unfit to walk in her shadow. Katara marched with her head up, shoulders squared, and outsmarted our enemies in ways that we could not, with cunning. I'm not sure exactly how she managed to pull off such a feat or the exact mechanics. I shoot her a sideways glance.

She smiles a little, or is it a smirk? I look at her with gratitude in my eyes and know that she means to keep her secrets. That's fine by me, as I've grown to learn that she must hold her mystery. Someday I will find out what she hides, but not now.

Now, I just want to enjoy what little time we have left together.

She's done what she set out to do, and probably aims to leave soon. I hope that 'soon' is a long way away, because the opportunity is nigh. Katara and I can become friends without the constant threat of soldiers tearing apart our relationship. And maybe, just maybe, we can be more than that.

What do I plan to do? Bond with my father first--that's a given--and then perhaps fight against the Fire Nation. I'm usually not of violent spirit, but Katara's achievements have inspired me to new heights. I'll free the rest of the terrified and shivering Earthbenders in the world, I will, and leave nothing but peace in my wake.

After that I'll find Karara. I watch as she climbs on some sort of animal--a bison? The arrow is a nice touch. I notice it sadly as she prepares to leave and realize that this is really, truly goodbye. She's about to fly off into the sky and abandon me here to sort the remaining problems out. I am slightly flattered, as it means she trusts I can restore order.

_Hey,_ I want to call out, _Remember me_. But I don't say this, and it's doubtful she will.

_The first time I ran_, I recall, shamed, _I ran when I saw her_. Rudeness and brutality followed not long after when she followed me to my home, and I'm starting to regret my actions. All right, I really_ am_ regretting them, every one. Why, oh why, didn't I make the best use of my time and the advantage I possessed back then? Haru, you fool. Should I leap on the bison next to Katara, run my hands through her hair, and whisper my thanks in her ear? The option is rather appealing, but I hold back because I want her to think fondly of me when she departs.

Her ride dips and soars, and soon she is merely a speck far above my head. Then she is nothing.

_We'll meet again,_ I vow silently, _I promise._

---------------------------------

Let's see, it seems like you have nothing more fun to do than read fanfiction. And I'm okay with that! Just make sure to leave a request with the pairing(s) you would like to see written. I will take any pairings (yes, as some have asked me, even same gender) and add them to my list. All it takes is one word with the name of the pairing to submit a request.

Of course, if you want to write more or leave a review, I'd love that too!

My goal: 5 more requests by my next post.

Will you be the one to push the counter over the top?


	13. Taang 2

_Requested by Amethyst Angel_

**Taang 2--Toph x Aang**

--Takes Place After the Crossroads of Destiny--

I hug my knees to my chest and look out to the horizon. The sun paints bloody streaks over the clouds, and I think how wonderful it must be to be the painter. If I were the sun and not the avatar, there'd be not a worry in the world upon my shoulders. It doesn't have to spend sleepless nights fretting about the coming battle. It doesn't have to endure subtle hallucinations and flashes of death. It doesn't have to crawl out to the edge of a rocky ledge and stare, just stare, out over the hills to clear its head.

Oh, to be the sun.

I am still for what more than an hour, and all the while I have a strange sense someone is watching me. I hold my sullen position, shoulders slumped, head on hands, enjoying the hush. Whoever is there isn't saying a word. When the sunset is over, she takes a tentative step forward, but the absence of light bathes her face in shadow. It must be Katara, come to see me off to bed.

"Hi, Katara" I greet half-heartedly.

She doesn't answer. I look up and gaze at the silvery dots appearing in the sky and try to form pictures. "The stars are pretty tonight."

Katara creeps a little nearer, but keeps her lips closed.

"There are so many of them," I tell her quietly. "I wonder if they ever feel insignificant. What do you think?"

There is a long pause, then I make out a small shrug.

"I wonder how that feels." I chuckle sadly. "Isn't it strange? Since I've been branded with my destiny, I've never managed to feel that way again. It's not that I think myself any more important than everyone else, so much as I'm terrified--terrified I might be."

I feel a tiny vibration go up my palm. "You just took a step. I've gotten good at this vibration thing. I've been trying to learn ever since I met Toph. She's an excellent teacher, actually. There was one time she spent forever making me Earthbend. It was brutal, but it worked."

"Not that you're not a great teacher, Katara," I add quickly, "Because you are. It's just that...she's different. But in a good way, you know? Maybe you don't. You guys don't seem to get along too well. Ah, you just took another step. See, I am improving."

"Sometimes," I go on wistfully, "I ask myself whether anyone ever wants to be the avatar. There've been people who've said it once or twice, I've heard, because of all the glory, but it's more than that. I want to tell them of all the responsibilities and problems and death but I don't, because no matter how much I tell them, they'll never really know. Although you and I have known each other for a long time, you'll never really know either, and you're practically my sister."

There's a small choking sound from behind me. "You and your brother, Sokka are like a second family to me." It stops. "And Toph and Appa and Momo, too. Then whoever will be my Firebending teacher. We'll all be one big, happy family, and won't it be grand?"

"Yes..." comes as a whisper.

"I've never had that. It was always the monks and me and sometimes friends, but that's all." I lean back slightly, carefully placing the weight of my body on my elbows and not my back. "Do you know what death is like?" No response. "Yeah, me neither. Maybe I was dead, but all my memories are smudged together. I recall an explosion of light, and then I saw a lot. Too much. Sokka was smiling and you were playing in the water. You both looked so happy and Toph... Toph..."

"Yes...?"

"She could see." My voice catches in my throat, but I get the rest of my thoughts out. "She saw the moon and the sunset and then she saw tears on my cheeks. The last thing I remember is her seeing me--_me_--as she ran her fingers over my arrows and then..."

"Then...?"

"I came back to life."

"Oh."

At a loss for words, I connect a cluster of stars in my head. "I see her, right there." Toph's astronomical likeness sparkles more brightly than any others.

Katara closes the gap between us and sits beside me. I start to go, but she grabs my shirt when I try to wriggle away and pulls me back down. I don't leave after that.

We rest in silence for a little less than an eternity. "The stars are pretty tonight."

She doesn't move, and I think she may be crying. I hear a small hiccup, then she's done. Her milky eyes swirl into the darkness as she tips her chin upwards. It's not Katara, but Toph.

"I wouldn't know."

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Do you have any pairings you would like to see instead of this one? Send a reply with the name of the pairing(s) you want and I'll write it. It's as simple as that. Yes, I do accept same gender pairings.

I was really pleased with the way this fic turned out. What do you think?

My goal: 5 more requests by the next installment. I got lots of reviews—Thank you Avatarwolf!—but only two requests! So let's send them in!

Just remember: the more requests I get, the more ficlets I have to type to meet the need. The more ficlets I have to type, the faster I write. The faster I write, the sooner I can update!


	14. Zutara 2

_Requested by Amethyst Angel_

Zutara 2—Zuko x Katara

--Takes Place During the Guru and the Crossroads of Destiny--

No. That's not him. No.

That can't be who I think it is. Impossible. There's no way. He's not there, he's not wearing an apron, and he's not going to the counter. Why? Because he doesn't exist. I've spent the last month without him convincing myself that there never was a banished prince. Because there isn't. I'm certain of that.

It's not Zuko.

All I wanted was a bit of information, and maybe a cup of tea. I didn't ask to see the avatar's archenemy in a uniform, serving drinks. _Because I didn't ask for it,_ I reason, _it's not happening._

Then what's that feeling in my stomach? Queasiness perhaps, or a load of pesky butterflies. _You're not feeling anything, Katara_, I tell myself, _because he's not really there._

Right. I nearly forgot.

It's been so long since I've seen the nonexistent boy that I nearly don't recognize him. His hair is longer, and I like it that way, but I do wonder if he's growing it out to hide his scar. Maybe it's not even real hair. I should run my fingers though it later to see if it's part of some poor animal's mane that he's stitched into his head. That would be awful, of course, but I wouldn't put it past him. I can picture Zuko bringing his swords down upon the neck of the Earth King's bear, for example, and then mounting the skull on a board. He'd skin the creature, that's for sure, and when he had enough brown tufts of fur, he'd force someone to take a needle to his scalp. Bosco could've unwillingly been made into a bad disguise--a curtain of tresses.

That's exactly why I wanted the Fire Prince gone. He has no regard towards anything or anyone but himself, and would rather be complaining than figuring out a way to help his situation. I hate him.

Won't those butterflies stop fluttering in my stomach? Thank y--_oh, there they are again._

I just saw his scar.

Black falls slightly over the reddened mark, but doesn't mask it completely. The burn is prominent as Zuko turns a quarter's way around, protruding from its cover. That scar has haunted me just as much as it's probably done him, because whenever I think 'Fire Nation', Zuko's face comes to mind. To me, he is the face of the Fire Nation, of the war, of my mother's death. He's the enemy, one hundred percent of the problem. _There's always room for forgiveness,_ sings a small voice in my mind, but I shove it away. I tried to forgive him, and it didn't work out at all. I'm done with that now.

I want to scream. After all the time I've spent erasing his memory, here he is again, up and ready to make my life a living nightmare. The affections I'd ever felt for him, if there were any, have long since been forced down and swallowed. I don't love him anymore.

Not that I ever did, because he's not real. And even if he were, I'd still loathe him.

"I'll save you from the pirates." I recall him saying that once. Back then, even through my fear and hatred towards Zuko, I'd trusted him and considered him at least a small bit noble. Who's to say he can't be noble now? Then again, who's to say he ever was? Not me. I want nothing more to do with the prince. Not to hold him or touch him or pull him close to me and make him apologize. Not to talk to him or lean on his shoulder or have him protect me with his life like I'd sometimes dreamed. Nothing.

He seems so happy here. Happy without me.

With tears in my eyes, I run.

--------------------------------

If you are reading this, you probably ship Avatar in some way or another. What pairings do you guys want to see posted? I take all pairings, even crack ships (I find it a real challenge to make them seen serious and non-stupid. I love it.) and same-gender. If you have any requests, send them in with a reply and I'll get on that as soon as possible.

So far, I've had 24 requests. Will yours be number 25? Who wants to help me reach my goal of 100?

Today's goal: Get 5 more requests by my next update. Better yet, can I get 10 more by midnight? Will you be the one to push me over the top?

By the way, thanks so much to all my repliers. More specifically, thanks to Avatarwolf for always replying, even if the story was absolute rubbish. And thanks for everyone who added me to their favorites or alert list. And thanks to TrueThinker and joebob for giving me a total of 8 requests this morning.


	15. Maiko

_Requested by thetemptedangel_

**Maiko--Mai x Zuko**

--Takes Place During the Flashback in Zuko Alone--

My heart skips a beat; there he is--the Prince.

He stands quite short, with neatly combed hair fastened in a stiff ponytail. How I want to rip away the tie and see him with his hair down, just once. But I don't, because Zuko likes order and consistency. Any change at all sets him off, makes him go worry alone in the corners of his room. We have that in common. When something bad happens, we retreat inside the palace and cry. Or rather: I cry, and he broods..

I think back to when I was perhaps eight. I'm nearly thirteen, but Azula insists I must be younger than her, so perhaps I've not yet reached twelve. I don't recall what made me so upset, but it must have been something big, something that was significant at the time. I'd just come back from a ball, and so was wearing a dab of my mother's make-up, most of it black and rimming my eyes.

I lean against the tree. It's all coming back to me now...

_I'd been weeping behind the kitchens, my knees held firmly to my chest and ribs aching with every gasp for air. Salt ran in my mouth, dark because of the kohl smudged and mixed with tears. An open bottle lay next to me on the floor--_

That's it. I remember my parents were angry because I'd drunk from their wine cups, so I'd stolen an entire bottle to spite them.

_--half emptied already by my foul lips. It tasted horrible, like cabbages set out to rot in the sun on the last day of the world, so I spat most of it back up. Still, my mind was set on finishing the drink. I never did, for the spirits made me too drowsy to think straight or do anything but lay down. When I awoke many hours after the next daybreak, my head pounded like thunder in my ears. Immediately, I rolled over and became sick. In that one instant, I realized the horror of what I'd done._

_I'd ruined the dinner party, but I didn't care too much about that. I still don't. Neither did I fret over the fact that Azula would strangle me if she found my neck and then burn my corpse under a crescent moon. No, what I worried about was whether Zuko saw me cover my face with my hands and sprint from the banquet hall like I'd done. Of course he did; everyone saw it. I groaned. Everything was going downhill from there._

_I retrieved the bottle from where it had rolled under a table. _I might as well have a few more sips to drain what's left,_ I reasoned._ Then I can nick another

_"What are you doing, Mai?" Zuko's voice shot harshly from behind me. He walked up and wrenched the container from my grasp. Examining the label, he asked, "This is what you took, isn't it?" I nodded hesitantly, afraid he would think less of me. "This is stupid."_

_"It is?" Was he referring to me, or the wine? "Why?"_

_"I've heard of better ways to deal with problems than getting tipped. I overheard a couple of soldiers talking about it in the front lawns." He crouched low. "I've never actually tried it on myself, but I've heard it works."_

_I brightened. "What is it?"_

_"Here." Zuko smashed the bottle on the tile. Flecks of glass flew everywhere as it split into a thousand pieces. He took my hand gently, but I was reluctant to give it to him._

_"You're not going to kill me, are you?"_

_"Stop being such a girl." He angled my palm towards the ceiling and chose a particularly sharp shard. "Don't look away. Make sure I am doing this right. If it doesn't hurt, I'll press harder."_

_"What are y--ahhhhh." I hissed in pain as he dug the corner into my soft flesh. Zuko forced it in, deeper and deeper until I had to pull away. I couldn't take it anymore. Pure red blood welled from the wound, trickling down my wrist and almost to my elbow. Zuko was still holding the stained scrap of glass as I nursed to my wounds._

_"How does it feel?"_

_"Awful!"_

_"I'll do it nicer next time," Zuko promised, easing me against the far wall. He curled up beside me and rested my head against his strong shoulder. Still bleeding, I obliged, but made sure to drip some fluids on his shirt. Sometime between then and noon, he ended up holding me close, both of us asleep. My fingers tracd the boundaries of his thin waist and stayed there until one of the chefs happened upon and split us._

Zuko and I have barely talked since, and I've not cut myself within the past four years.

He glances at me briefly, feeling my stare. Hastily, I blush and look away, down at my left palm.

The scar is still there. Faint, but there.

-----------------------

I take all requests, even same-gender and crack pairings. Just leave a reply with the pairing you would like to see and I'll write it as soon as possible!


	16. Jetoph

_Requested by thetemptedangel_

**Jetoph--Jet x Toph**

Jet is a rebel.

Already I like him.

I blindly follow the others as we rush through the stone, guided only by the frantic clatter of footsteps. I slam the wall back and pad closely at the someone's heels. Someone stops--it might be Katara--then everyone else, so I do too. Chills run down my spine just from being under Lake Laogai. I stay at the back, behind...I think it's Sokka...and listen.

Katara says, "This isn't good," but I have no clue what she means. The entire room is tense, Aang included. Twinkletoes is near, and so are Long Shot and Smellerbee, but where is Jet?

He left I conclude. That baby must have bolted at the first sign of a fight. But Jet wouldn't have done that; he's not one to run away. I haven't known him long, but I've gotten to know him well.

Katara wouldn't tell me why she didn't trust him. I've had to learn the tale bit by bit from the ones who would. Something to do with a flood, a treehouse, and a doll. My best guess is that Jet took Katara to his home in the trees and promised they'd grow old together. On their anniversary, he'd given her a small doll as a gift, but she didn't like it, and so consequentially flooded his house.

Yes, my take on events may be completely ridiculous, but it's the best I have, so shut your mouth. I told that to Jet one day when he laughed at my idea. He probably doesn't even remember it himself, the hog-chicken. I eat animals like him for dinner.

If he didn't leave, then where is he? Hiding? Hurt? Dead. That's ridiculous. The Freedom Fighter (I'd picked up this term from one of Long Shot and Smellerbee's one-sided conversations) is immortal. He bends the rules, bites at authority, and values his friends above all else.

Or rather, he did.

There are mumbled words and dry sobs, but they mix together and I don't understand. Jet is talking, and then he's not. Does this mean he is still alive, or that he's nearing death? No more words. A deathly silence falls over our group, and someone ushers me away.

No, I want to scream. No! It's not fair! Jet and I never had a chance. I didn't get to talk to him about his relationship with Katara or his feelings about the firenation. He was going to show me his treehouse. He was going to bring me on adventures. He was going to teach me to use his swords, the hooks that scrape loudly against each other. He was going to help Aang.

He was going to help me.

With him, I could see. Not really see, of course, but everything was so simple and to the point that it was like I could. No lying or insincerities or wrong conclusions. I'm not sure if it was always that way, always so distinct. Jet would block out the battle plan and we'd go by it, eager to please. All of us, even Sokka, but especially me. I show off whenever I can so people don't get the wrong idea, that I'm some poor little blind girl. Jet didn't think of me that way. He never said it, but I know that's how he felt, and was: Don't underestimate anyone, anywhere.

I wasn't helpless. Jet realized this and treated me like a soldier. Everyone else says they understand what I've been through, to have never had something they take for granted, but do they really? I don't think Jet's ever had a real family. It was nice to know that I'd been like a sister to him. More than a sister, I'd hoped, but never got. And now I'd never have the chance.

Maybe he's not really gone. But by the ominous hush around me, it's a pretty good bet that he is. I try to touch him once, just once, but I can't reach his body before I'm being pulled away. The tears are coming, and I might not be able to hold them back. _Goodbye, Jet._

_If I can find you again, I swear I will._

---------------------------

Request either by Private Message or review. All pairings, including crack! ships, same-gender, canon, and fanon. Then everything else in between.

Here's the list of soon-to-come requested pairings and the person who asked for them. If you requested something and I forgot to add your name to the list, please tell me as quickly as possible so I can get it done. If you have a pairing you would like to contribute to the list (even if I've already written one like it) go ahead and request it.

Tokka _(December's Rose)  
_Zoph 2 _(thetemptedangel)_  
Sokkula 2 _(spartanearthbender)_  
Jinko _(Avatarwolf)_  
Zutara 3 _(Avatarwolf)  
_Jetzula _(TrueThinker)_  
Boscula _(TrueThinker)_  
Ozappa _(TrueThinker)_  
Zukka _(joebob)  
_Mai Lee _(joebob)_  
Moppa _(joebob)_  
Jiki _(joebob)_  
Youzula _(joebob)  
_Maiko 2 _(Taquax)_  
Juroh _(Childe at Heart)_

I especially love to write crack! pairings. Send in the name of the worst or most unlikely pairing you've ever heard of and I'll see if I can make the fic seem almost plausible. It's a challange that I simply love.

My Goal: 7 more requests by my next update. Will yours be the one that gets me there?

Next update: Depends on when I get all 7 requests. I'll probably post tomorrow, though, hopefully sometime in the morning.


	17. Tokka

_Requested by December's Rose_

**Tokka--Toph x Sokka**

--Takes Place During The Serpent's Pass--

Water fills my lungs. I splash madly, trying to stay afloat, but to no avail. My arms drag me down and my legs are like lead weights. _Maybe if they were lead, I'd be able to bend myself out of this situation, _I think grimly, but there is no time for ifs. Not when I'm drowning. Not when I'm about to die.

The greatest earthbender in the world, dead not in a heroic act, but because she couldn't swim. I can picture the stories that will be told about me. I never even had a chance to build my legacy.

All right, in case this is my last thought, I, Toph Bei Fong, being of sound mind and body, something something something, do hereby leave blah blah blah and, um, here goes:

To Katara, I leave laughter; I shall laugh at her even when I'm gone.

To Aang, I leave assertiveness; if he doesn't start standing up for what he believes, he'll never win the war.

And to Sokka, I leave...wait, what do I leave him? He already has sarcasm.

I sink further into the icy lake. This is it. I'm about to slip under completely. Wait, no! I refuse to meet my fate until I have thought of something to give to Sokka.

Memories. He gets memories. Memories of when he and the avatar tracked me down. Memories of when I lost Appa. Memories of when I lost my temper and deserted the group.

I've seen him, but I've never really _seen _him. I'd get a better picture if I ran my hands over his face, but then he'd consider me mental. That I am, I suppose, not that it matters now. Crazy or not, I'm going down, and the sea shall claim my body.

There won't even be a funereal. I'd have liked to be buried underground, as far in the earth as possible. Unfortunately, I'll be laid upon the sandy ocean floor with not a proper sendoff. What a pity--I wonder what Sokka would have said about me. That I was fierce? That I never surrendered? That I could never be outmatched? All I know is, he'd better cry, ceremony or not.

I wish to wrap my arms around his neck, rubbing a bit of dirt into his too-clean skin as I order him to save me. _Save me, Sokka._ It does no use, and I can't live without breathing for much longer. Toph, I ask myself, do you really want to spend your last moments thinking about such an empty-headed boy? Yes, actually, I do. He made me grin, and I'd like to smile at least once before... Before...

I must be strong. If I have to abandon life now, I'll do it with my head held high and shoulders squared. It's too late for laughs, too late for smiles, too late for love.

A last desperate plead. _Rescue me. Hug me. Look into my eyes and wipe the fog away. I want to live. I want to see. _Sokka doesn't hear me.

I can't hold out any longer. I've said my goodbyes, painful and sad. For the first time since I entered the world, I'm giving up.

I leave Sokka the memory of my death.

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Think of the most unlikely pairings you have ever heard of, whether that is Blue Spirit x Momo or Koh x Lu Ten. Do you have it in your head? Good. Now think of your favorite pairing of all time, which can range anywhere in the fandom--Kataang, Zutara, Azuki, Sokkajuice, whatever. Now think of two completely random characters from off the top of your head and put them together. You now have three pairings, a crack! ship (yes, that's what they're called) your favorite ship, and a completely random ship. Right? Wonderful!

Send a reply with the three names (the reply doesn't even need to be signed) and I'll get on it. Or, just give me the name of any pairing(s) you would like to see. Feel free to send as many as you want. I also take same-gender pairings.

My Goal: 5 more requests by my next update.

I met my goal on Chapter 15, so I decided to hurry and finish this one.

All my reviewers get virtual cookies, but Avatarwolf gets two--one for her, and one for MoMo.

Happy Reading!


	18. Zoph 2

_Requested by thetemptedangel_

**Zoph 2--Zuko x Toph**

--Takes Place After The Tales of Toph and Katara--

How can you pass your nemesis and simply not know it?

Toph could do it, and she could do it easily. By tuning out the sounds around her, she was completely oblivious to the dreadful world of reality. In her mind, she stood eight feet tall and sported muscles larger than The Boulder's. Her hair reached far below her waist, and she carried a long slip of black cloth to tie around her eyes so no one knew she was blind. In her fantasy, she was the greatest earthbender to ever live, and her name went down in legend and song. An entire day was devoted to her, and celebrations were mandatory. Ah, glorious would be the coming years of Toph.

Prince Zuko, on the other hand, dreamt only of acceptance. Being accepted by his sister, his nation, his father. That was all he wanted. The throne was optional, and something he'd freely give up if the need were to arise. He was changing, and he knew it, and he wished he had someone besides his uncle to guide him. Someone smart. Someone who wouldn't grow weak. Someone aggressive, yet comforting.

Someone like Toph. But he didn't know that yet.

It just so happened that one day Toph passed a small tea shop on the corner. Having just split from Katara and feeling a bit thirsty, she decided to go in. Maybe they had a sink inside where she could wipe the rest of the make-up from her face. As pretty as she'd felt, it just wasn't her, and she wished to be rid of her alter-identity as soon as possible.

No one greeted her at the door, which was just fine. If she could get in and get out without being seen, that would be wonderful. The scent of tea tickled at her nose immediately upon entry. Delicious...was that jasmine? _I can spare time for one cup, _Toph reasoned, taking a seat at one of the tables near the back.

Zuko didn't notice the young girl that had just walked in until the back of his neck prickled. Cheeks burning, he looked up sharply and met the gaze of his newest customer. Something in his stomach told him that he'd seen her before, but he couldn't place exactly where. Toph just stared at him blindly till he came to take her order. "What do you want?"

"You're not asking very nicely," she clipped. "What drinks do you have?"

"This is a tea shop," Zuko said flatly. "What do you think we have?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking." Toph grinned to herself as she pictured the boy growing frustrated.

Zuko clenched his teeth. "We have...tea."

"Great. Then that's what I'll take." Toph snapped her fingers. "Hurry up, you. I'm growing old here."

"Why you little--" Zuko remembered how Iroh taught him to behave. "Fine. Right away, miss."

No matter how hard he looked at her, or how long he observed her sip tea, the young prince could not place where he'd seen her. Toph smiled as he wrestled with the feeling. Zuko knew something for certain though...

There was something about that girl.

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Here's the regular fic for today. I'm posting the crack! Fic now too. I'm going to try to get out two ficlets a day. And by the way, even if you don't ship Boscula (who does?!) can you check out the Boscula fic in the next chapter? I just wanted to see if I made it serious enough of if the entire fic just seemed stupid. (Not the pairing, just the fic.) Cool.

My Goal: 5 more requests by Chapter 20


	19. Boscula

_Requested by TrueThinker_

**Boscula--Bosco x Azula**

I lumber aimlessly through the unnatural scenery, my paws blistered from so much walking. Where's my master? I barely recall anything over our separation, just falling, rolling, and screaming. A week later here I am, padding along on a starving belly and parched throat. Brambles are tangled in my fur, and they hurt awfully badly. I want to find shelter, food, and the Two-Legs that used to care for me.

_Have you seen my master? _I growl this to every Two-Legs that I see, but they all have different reactions. Some run, some shout, and I've beaten over this head today more times thatn I can count. The city is no place for a tamed bear.

Hmm...That building in the center looks familiar. It's my old home, I remember, clumsily climbing the steps. This is where I used to live. Is Master inside? I move my stubby legs faster and plow through several rows of Two-Legs. Rocks catch me from every side, but I press on. Master will heal any wounds, but first I have to find him.

Where is he? I check the terrified faces of all the Two-Legs, but none of them is the right one. I enter one of the longer rooms and glance around, but he is not there. There are some very pale Legs though, especially the one in the middle. She looks sick.

Maybe if I am nice to her, she will tell me about Master. Cautiously, I crawl under the table on my belly, a very difficult task indeed, but few see me. The ones that do simply snicker. I pop out on the other side and lick the Sick-Leg's hand. She screams and slaps me hard on my cheek. It stings, but she's probably just scared. Still, I must find out about Master, so I sink my teeth into the side of her leg. Her golden eyes grow wide and something blue shoots from her fingertips. I roll out of the way just in time, but part of my fur is now singed. It's some sort of fire.

Chaos erupts at once. Dozens of Two-Legs hurl boulders at me, and I cannot keep dodging them forever. I hear calls of, "Azula!" and "Princess" and "Kill it!", but nothing of my master. I turn my head sharply, just in time to see a huge corner of stone connect in the middle of my forehead. Large tears slip down to my chin, and the world goes black.

---------------

Later that night, Princess Azula undresses in her bedchamber. As she pulls off her day pants, she sees a row of cuts up her left calf. Dried blood is cracked along the edges, she notices, fuming. _That stupid bear! How dare he bite me? I am the heir to Fire Nation throne! No one can touch me!_

_I'll go give him a piece of my mind. _She changes quickly into her sleeping wear and creeps down to the cells. If anyone caught her around, there would be many awkward questions, the answers to which not always lightning. Bosco is behind the third set of bars, passed out on his side. Azula hesitates, then sticks her arm through the metal to pet him. His fur tickles her palm, but it is against her nature to smile, let alone laugh.

_This isn't so bad. _She strokes him down his back, and he doesn't stir. _You're just a dumb animal. What do you know? _She scratches behind his ears. _You may have marked me, but I can do much worse. _

Between idle threats and gentle rubs, the princess loses track of time. The Dai Li finds her the next morning, asleep next to the third cell, her fingers threaded through the bear's thick hair, a malicious grin still twisted on her lips.

Upon seeing this, Long Feng smiles. _I always knew she had to have a heart somewhere._

_------------------------_

Please tell me what you thought of this one. I worry that I'm not very good with crack! Ships, and would like some feedback, if it's not too much trouble.

I'm going to try to put out one crack! Fic and one regular fic a day, and we'll see how that goes. Thank you so much to everyone that replied, whether you left a request or not. (Thankfully, pretty much everyone did leave a request.)

I just want to say: Don't get discouraged if you don't see your pairing posted right away. Trust me, I'm working on all of them. Attempting to do two a day will help me get them out faster, so keep sending in the requests. I have 59! Woot!

My goal: 5 more requests by chapter 20.


	20. Sokkula 2

_Requested by spartanearthbender _

**Sokkula Part 2--Sokka x Azula**

"You fight dirty," Sokka growled, struggling for breath.

"I know." Azula tightened her hold around his neck. "I never was one to play by the rules."

The water jug Sokka had been carrying crashed to the dirt, causing the porcelain to shatter as it met hard earth. With his arms free, he unsheathed his club and wrestled loose. The princess, unwilling to surrender him that easily, immediately drew upon her powers. The first lightning bolt barely missed Sokka's face, catching instead on the bottom of his pants.

"Aah! Hot flame! Hot flame!" He batted it out frantically, then hurled his boomerang at the head of the aggressor.

Azula shot it down mid-air. "You'll have to do better than that." The burnt toy fell limply to the ground, ineffective. "Tell me where the avatar is!"

"You killed him!" It wasn't exactly a lie, because Aang had been dead...for a while. "He's not here!"

She struck a blue whip at his feet, setting alight a small patch of grass. "Liar!" The fire grew with another missed strike. "Just tell me where he is, and I might let you go free."

Baring his teeth, Sokka rushed forward and took a slice at the thick material of Azula's clothes. This tactic failed to work, as the Firebender simply smirked and grabbed him fast around the waist. With two fingers pressed harshly at his throat, she let out a high-pitched cackle. "You are at my mercy."

One arm was hugging his middle, Sokka observed, and the other was threatening to murder him where he stood. Azula brought him closer with a sharp tug, relishing the slow torture. His back and her front touched a bit too much to be menacing, and he could feel her breath on his neck. Slow and steady it was, until he shifted a little; then it caught slightly in her chest. She smelled of rotting corpses and cackling wood--big surprise there. "Do you spend a lot of time burning people?"

"Stop talking!"

"Are you enjoying this?" Sokka tried to move around to allow for a bit more room, but she held fast and strong.

"Tell me what I want to know or I'll shoot you down right here."

"But then you'd never know," he pointed out. "Just let me think for a moment."

With each passing second, Azula grew more and more agitated, as well as a bit flustered. When her captive moved, she'd have to slip him nearer, and they were already frighteningly close. _Was_ she enjoying this? Not so much the tightness, but there was something nice about having a boy touch her. Making a boy touch her. Without realizing it, she pulled their hips together.

Sokka let out a surprised grunt, then a chuckle. "So you do like this." He squirmed, a bit uneasy at the impatience in Azula's eyes. "You always have to be the one in charge, don't you?"

"Of course." Azula spat. "People follow me. You will follow me." Sokka attempted to make a run for it, but she gripped him too well. The awkward moment spun him around in a confusing whirl--now he was still pressing against his enemy, just face to face.

"Well this is interesting." Sokka fought back a tiny smile. _There's more than one way to bargain your freedom. _He ran a sly hand up her back and let it rest gently on the nape of her neck. Tiny hairs prickled, but whether in embarrassment or anger, he wasn't sure.

Azula never gets embarrassed. She dug her fingers unto his skin, but let his hand stay where it was. "I could kill you now."

Sokka decided he could tolerate the smell of rotting corpses, just for now. Choosing to gain a bit of control, he brought his lips down to meet hers. Ulterior motives were on the minds of both teenagers when he stopped just short of her permanently frowning mouth.

The princess looked at the peasant, who sported a demonic grin. "Then do it."

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Have a favorite pairing? Have a hated pairing? Have a pairing that you can't believe anyone could possibly ship? Send it in for me to write about it. I love requests, as it is a chance for me to get to know what the readers want to read. Isn't that the best way to write? I take all pairings, even crack! and same-gender.

My Goal: 4 more requests by my next update. Will your request be the one that gets me there?

Read, Review, Request! That's the secret to life.


	21. Jetzula

_Requested by TrueThinker_

**Jetzula--Jet x Azula**

--Takes Place During Lake Laogai

Opposite, and yet the same.

Confusing, yes, but so was the pair. Jet had grown up rebellious, loathing the Fire Nation for what they'd done to his village. His first memory was that of uncontrollable fire, infernos so large that he woke up crying every night. For years, the color red would set him off, get him barking, shouting, and bleeding at his heart.

On the other side, there was Azula, the pampered princess and very face of evil. With no conscience, she'd abused her powers to gain control. Thousands fell dead in her path, and still hundreds more fled at the mere mention of her name. She was only a teenager, yet already the leader of a powerful nation. The firenation caused Jet's village's destruction, the war, and, through Azula and Long Feng, his pained murder.

But before he died, before he rejoined the avatar, before he found the poster about Appa, Jet was innocent. So terribly, terribly naive were the days after his brainwashing, spent in pure bliss and oblivion. All memories of war and hatred had been wiped from his mind, leaving nothing but calm. He greeted those he knew, and introduced himself to those he didn't. Smiles all around! Jokes and riddles spilled from his lips, replacing the biased slurs he spoke so often, and his laugh became a well-known sound around the dingy neighborhood where he slept.

It just so happened that Jet and Azula inadvertently crossed paths one morning, coincidentally the same morning that Jet managed to track down Katara. The princess had confidential information to relay to her assistants, Ty Lee and Mai, who were purchasing souvenirs for their family back home. Usually Azula would have sent out a guard to fetch the girls, but it had been a while since she'd gotten some fresh air, so she worried that her skin was becoming a bit pale. At the same time, Jet finished buying a small whistle for music and a thin straw to chew on. He stuck the weed in his mouth and piped out an airy tune as the prodigy passed.

Azula turned towards the sound at the same time Jet looked up from the instrument, and a silent bond formed between them.

Large brown eyes, wide and love struck, connected with sharp golden ones not far away. First, nothing happened, then one heart began to pound. Which one? Not Azula's, for she surely couldn't be excited by a mere peasant...could she?

No. She led her guards away, but Jet, newly the optimist, decided at once to follow. Azula trooped steadily along the road, completely unaware that she was being stalked. Jet ran behind for a little ways, struggling to keep out of sight, but always with his gaze focused on the Firebender. If he'd remembered who she was, perhaps he would have given up long ago; unfortunately, the Dai Li had long since taken care of his memories. Now he knew nothing other than he'd found a pretty girl, and teenage boys were supposed to like pretty girls. Simple logic, the basics of life learned from studying the actions of his peers.

The fact that this 'pretty girl' was his enemy and a murderer seemed to matter to everyone but him. As he tailed her, pictures of future children swam through his head, boys with long black hair, girls with a natural draw to hook swords. He patted the weapons by his side in anticipation and hurried on. When he came within shouting distance, he cupped his hand to his mouth and called, "Excuse me! Excuse me, but..." He dodged an angry cabbage merchant. "You--you're beautiful!"

The world seemed to stop moving as a gasp rose from the crowds. Azula, frustrated at the sudden pause, spun on her heel to face the ex-freedom fighter. Was this some sort of sick joke? _He looks sincere_, she observed, _The idiot_.

"We are going now," she declared quietly, and her guards exchanged nervous glances as they obeyed. _That fool. He should know I don't love. _

As she walked away from the downcast ghost of a boy, Azula wrestled with a miniscule edge of guilt. And maybe, just maybe, she might have smiled.

---------------------

Any pairings, from crack! to same-gender to the dreaded CANON. (shudders) What could be worse than the pairings the creators actually want us to believe in? (I'm just kidding. Don't hate me for that.)

My Goal: 5 more requests by Chapter 21. And to finish another crack! fic, but I suppose you can't really help with that one.

What's your favorite pairing?


	22. Zukka

--WARNING: This is a same-gender pairing. You have been warned--

_Requested by joebob_

**Zukka--Zuko x Sokka**

--Zuko's Thoughts on Sokka--

I am hopeless, but for more reasons than you think. The first reason: My father banished me from the Fire Nation. The second: My future hinges on the capture of a twelve year old boy. And the third: I am a coward. A complete and utter coward. I had the chance, but I let it slip through my fingers like dust. I could have either killed him, or taken him hostage, and I think I like the last option better. Maybe he'd have helped me; I am in need of a fine, strong warrior. Interpret that at will.

Who am I talking about? I'm not sure, but I know he's from the Water Tribe, he carries both a boomerang and a club, and sports a tiny ponytail. I think I heard someone call him Sokka once, but that's all I remember in the way of names. There was no time for formal introductions when I attacked his village, and he probably wouldn't have bowed to me anyway. Those peasants have no manners. Perhaps I would have to teach him some, I thought smoothly, and that's how the fantasies came about.

_Arm in arm, I'd force him onto the ship, grinding his face against the wall as I laughed. Place would have to be established right off, or he might desert me. When blood painted his limp body and his consciousness was lost to the winds, I'd sign him on as a soldier and milk him for information. If he disobeyed, he would be punished the hard way, but if he did well, he would be rewarded. The _fun_ way._

And by that, I meant a game of Pai Sho. That's not what I mean anymore, though.

_Would this boy be impressed by my midget of a boat_, I recall wondering. Maybe it would seem large to him, but compared to the others in the fleet it was no bigger than a mere figurine. Despite this, it had dozens of rooms, unexplored and vacant, waiting to be unlocked, entered, relocked, then unlocked again several hours later. Yes, several hours--Pai Sho is a very long game. Of course, now my ship is destroyed and I am enemies with the avatar, bit it's nice to have memories.

For example, I remember the first time I set foot on the South Pole and saw Sokka. There was something about him, something that made him special and me want to stare. So many emotions, but then he had to spoil the moment by engaging me in combat. I tried to go easy--well, relatively easy--until he cheated and knocked the back of my head with his stupid boomerang. Common sense was the only thing stopping me from snapping his neck, then the toy.

In the pale moonlight, my fingers brush over a once-painful bump hidden beneath several layers of hair. I have been marked, but I wish I could see it. One of these days I shall part my hair and brandish the spot to Sokka, proving that he had some impact on my life. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I'd affected his? In a positive way, I mean.

A year has past since I first laid eyes on him, and now he sleeps across from me on the dirt. I'm not supposed to be in the avatar's camp, but something told me to come and I just couldn't stay away. I dry my eyes,--there's no more time for brooding--bend over hesitantly, and decide to take matters upon myself. I crawl awkwardly over to the top of his sleeping bag, where his head sticks out as he rests. After slight hesitation, I curl up next to him and place his left arm over my stomach. I am too tired to care about the consequences right now.

I flip over and place both my hands over his one, then scoot as close as I can. While Sokka dreams, I stroke his cheek gingerly and try to relax. It is not for several hours that I realize his snoring has stopped and wide blue eyes are staring at me through the darkness. Then come the words, whispered with barely a smile:

"I'm awake."

-------------------------------------------

All pairings, from crack! to same-gender to canon to fanon to whatever you can dream up, send them in!

My Goal: 5 more requests by my next update.

Thanks to all who left a review or reply!


	23. Maiko 2

_Requested by Taquax_

**Maiko 2--Mai x Zuko**

_If I told you about the moon and stars, would you listen? If I spilled my heart's blood upon the earth, would you care? _

He moves slowly through the darkness, his only guide being the small flame that dances sadly on his palm. The faint orange glow illuminates nothing more than his face; it creeps over his locked jaw, tight lips, and golden right eye. His left is purposely invisible in the shadows, as is his scar. Every step he takes is pained, every breath sharp. I hang back behind the rubble and let Prince Zuko walk to the center of the demolished building. It is not easy to return to your home after a war and find everything gone. He must have known, but to see it, to come back after all this time…that's unimaginable.

His expression is blank, showing neither sorrow nor fear. He raises his hand, allowing the light to cast itself over the splintered wood and broken stones. The rubble stretches on for what seems to be a mile, but I know why he came to this specific spot--this was the place where his father burned, banished, and sent him to find the avatar four long years ago. Now the avatar is gone, and Zuko has nothing left.

He crouches to pick something up from a pile of melted tools. I tiptoe over to see what it is, hoping he won't see me, but he does. He looks up immediately from the object, his gaze telling me to _go back Mai, _so I pause. He examines whatever he is holding, first with rigid posture, then slumping, and finally his shoulders shake. Even as he cries, he is silent. The string slips from his stiffly done ponytail, drifting to the ground with an air of grace. Soot-covered black hair falls to his mouth unattended, ending halfway down his back. It's been nearly a year since he set out as a refugee with his uncle, the fallen General Iroh. How different a person Zuko is now.

Even though he forbade me to follow, I do anyway. This time he doesn't try to stop me from coming, but struggles to pull himself together. He fails, and lets loose more than he'd like. It's not like him to show emotion, and he will feel shame tomorrow. But today he is hurt, so I comfort him. As he bawls, I pry the item from his fingers and squint at the oddly shaped metal; it's some sort of crown with Azula's name scratched into the middle, dried blood staining the edges. It takes a moment for me to remember exactly what this means, but I manage to put two and two together and figure out why it has so much impact on Zuko. This was his father's crown, taken by Azula after she killed him. A slit through his throat, then lightning when he wouldn't die. The crown drops to the dust, and it will stay there forever.

I pull the prince gently to my shirt so he can cry on my shoulder. I reach for his hand, and, placing my own over it, extinguish the flame. Without the light, he is just a normal boy, I am just a normal girl, and we can be together.

----------------------------

What did you think? Do you have a pairing you would like to see more than Maiko? Send it in! All parings, even crack! and same gender will be accepted, so what are you waiting for? I have sixty-one reviews now—let's try for seventy!

My Goal: 9 more requests by my next update, whenever that may be. Depends on when I feel motivated, so probably soon.


	24. Topshot

_Requested by Firegurl 92_

**Topshot--Toph x Longshot**

"What are you thinking about?" The grass is scratchy but warm as I lay down, the air sticky and uncomfortable.

Longshot doesn't answer, doesn't even move. If he were anyone else, I'd be offended, but I know it's just his way; some people choose to talk, and some people don't. He's one of the ones that don't. I used to believe he was a mute until Jet died; then he spoke, just once. I don't remember exactly what he said, but his voice was deep and his words reassuring. That was enough.

I stretch my legs out long. "You think too much. That's all you ever do is think. I mean, I respect it and all, but don't you ever get bored? Don't you ever want to talk? Don't you ever want to rattle off a few good threats and make someone cry? It's great fun, it really is, and it helps get your confidence up. Do you have any confidence?"

He doesn't say anything. "You seem kind of shy, so maybe not. Of course, not everyone who is shy has low self-esteem, just like not everyone who is outgoing feels great about himself. I've been told that I am really assertive and sure of who I am, but sometimes I don't know, you know…. Do you get what I trying to say?"

There are slight, very faint vibrations as he nods. "That's good. Hey, do you ever wonder what it would be like to be perfect? To never make a mistake and have legions of admirers fawn over you and peel grapes into your mouth?"

A shake of the head. "Me neither. But sometimes I wonder what it's like to be able to see. I don't ponder that often, but at night, when I'm all alone in the darkness with my blankets wrapped around me, I realize I've never seen anything. Ever."

"I know what you're going to say," I cut in, before he has a chance. "'Don't blind people just see black?' No, we don't, because we don't know what black looks like and couldn't identify it if we tried. And do you know what would be horrible? Losing your sight after you've taken a good look at things, because then you'd know exactly what you're missing. If I was able to see colors, and the dirt beneath my toes, and Ba Sing Se, but then all of a sudden I couldn't, not ever again, I'd go crazy with grief. I'm lucky to have been born blind. I've never had a chance, and I'll never get a chance. Man, if I ever saw myself…"

It's rather depressing how I've never known what I look like. From what my parents have told me, I have hair and eyes and possibly a nose. "Do I have a nose, Longshot?"

He is probably looking at me strangely. "I mean, am I pretty? I want your honest opinion, not all buttered up like what Katara told me." Many minutes go by with neither a "yes" nor a "no" to fill the tense gap.

I turn my head and sigh. I didn't expect him to reply, but having a one-sided conversation is awfully dull. "One of these days I'm going to get you to talk to me," I promise quietly, but in my heart I know I won't force him. I don't know why I feel so secure with Longshot, or why I am comfortable with confiding in him, but I am. I lean my head on his chest and breathe in his sweet smell, the scent of oak. It's unique, and I like it.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask for the second time, mussing his hair playfully. After a while I stop, and stroke it instead. I hope he does not mind how rough my hands are as they run through his fairly limp locks. My head rolls gently to his side, to his shoulder, and eventually my entire body follows. Now my legs are tucked next to his ribs and I am curled up beside him. It's a new experience to bond with someone, to spill your feelings to practically a stranger and wriggle up under the fading sky.

I think I like it, and you know what? I think Longshot does, too.

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Hey, hey! Thanks for all the replies and requests, but I have something to say: If you are reading this right now, stop reading and send in a comment, whether in the form of a request or just quick note to say hi. Unless of course, you've already sent something in. Then you're cool. I'm not pressuring you to do anything, but I get a lot of hits (thanks for that, readers) but only a few repliers. It's all right, though.

My Goal: I have no goal, because nobody loves me (sob) but it would be nice to reach 75 reviews today. As if.

Woo, well I've complained enough, so enjoy the next chapter...whenever it gets posted.


	25. Sukoph

_Requested by Roxius_

--WARNING: This is a same-gender pairing. As much as I hate to say it, if you don't like it, don't read it. Thank you, and have a nice day.--

**Sukoph--Suki x Toph**

--Takes Place During the Serpent's Pass--

I know this will not end well even before she falls. The air is heavy with bad omens, scents of coming doom. From the safe side of the pass, I watch, horrified, as the young earthbender slips into the water. Toph thrashes, screams, and struggles for breath, but can barely be heard over the sound of upset water. No one makes a move to help, myself included. _Maybe she can swim_, I think hopefully, but am soon dashed. _Maybe she's only joking. Maybe someone else will rush in_. But no one does. My feet seem glued to the earth until Toph's head dunks underwater, her beautiful, tearstained face lost with her. All common sense disappears as I take matters into my own hands.

She's not gone yet. She's not gone yet. She's not gone yet. This thought pushes me forward to the edge of the lake even when my adrenaline begins to die down. Without considering how cold the water must be or the hazards of me trying to swim so far out, I plunge into it and stroke my arms.

Faster and faster. She's not gone yet. She's not gone yet. Toph _can't _be gone; I just met her, and we haven't even had a chance to get acquainted. Funny how I don't even know her properly, yet I'm already risking my life to save her. All Kyoshi warriors have been trained to rescue those in need, but I get the feeling that I would've gone after her anyway. She has that sort of effect on me, makes me do crazy things. If she'd requested it, I'd have chopped off my hair and donned men's clothing for the rest of my life. Then again, maybe if I masqueraded as a boy, we wouldn't have to be shy together. Not that Toph is ever shy, but I am. Always. I didn't start getting this way until I first saw her, from her frosted eyes and strong stance to her casually drawn hair and smirking lips.

Around her, there's a looming fear of messing up that never abates; everything I do has to be perfect so she'll never see me stumble. I worry over this as if there's a chance she'll ever return my crazy, mixed-up feelings, but deep down I know she won't. I'm not even sure what those feelings are, whether friendship or...something deeper. The thought of loving Toph is, well, frightening, but not dreaded. If I could only classify what I feel as true love, it would make things so much easier in my mind, though complicated to everyone else. What would my village think if they found out their top warrior fell in love with girls--actually, one girl? Many would accept me, but some would be afraid. What about Katara? She'd stick beside me, but things would get a little more awkward between us. Then there's Sokka and Aang to think about. How would they react?

But more importantly, what about Toph? She'd never pass the thought of a relationship, at least not one with me. If I ever told her what I feel, she'd probably never speak to me again. _You don't know her like that, Suki. _I remind myself. _Maybe she's more understanding than you think. _Yeah, right. Even if she understands, she still won't return the feelings. There's no way, no possible way, that Toph could ever want to hug my waist, to whisper in my ear, to kiss me willingly. But oh how I wish she would. I didn't even know I wanted her to do these things until I thought of them, but now that's all I'll ever desire, from this very second until the end of the world. And past that, because if she ever succumbed to me, I'd never let her go.

From the depths of the lake and with a heavy heart, I pull the bender to the surface. Secretly I hope she won't be breathing, so I'll be allowed to resuscitate her, but immediately her chest expands and her lungs clear. At least she's still alive, so I haven't lost her. Yet.

The plan is all figured out: While she is delusional and weak, I'll confess everything I said in my head, then I'll leave and hope she forgets. It'll be best that way, because, although I don't really want Toph to know of my love, my life will be unbearable if I don't tell her eventually. Sooner, rather than later, after all. Perhaps one day I'll get over her, the way she makes me smile, the fire in her eyes, the fierce swing of her hips, her brashness, the fact that she can't love me--

Toph exclaims something, but it doesn't register right away--she's flung her arms around my neck and collapsed into my shirt. I'm thinking this couldn't get any better when something wonderful presses against my cheek--her lips. They are soft and warm, everything I imagined, and I want them to stay there forever. My arms pull her closer into my body and I relish the moment. If I weren't still confused about it all, I'd turn and kiss her full on he mouth. How magnificent that would be! But tomorrow is another day and today I am thankful for what is happening now. Maybe I won't have to leave after all...

Then I snap back to reality and realize what she said. My spirits sink; I'm not Sokka...

--------------------

No comments. I don't much feel like _complaining_, but feel free to say hi or leave a request.

My Goal: Negative one million flames. Woot.


	26. Juroh

_Requested by Childe at Heart_

**Juroh--Jun x Iroh**

--Takes Place During or Before The Waterbending Scroll--

I've heard stories. Stories of the Great General Iroh, heir to the Fire Nation throne. Stories of his fight at Ba Sing Se and the gutless surrender. Stories of how he'd been so hurt by his son's death that he gave up and left alone the greatest city in the world. Tales fly everywhere about him, his accomplishments, his defeats, and the character Iroh has been reinvented a thousand times by a thousand different tongues. Some portray him as a great giant with a heavy fist but a heavier heart. He is told as a silly animal that forgets too often where he is and what he is doing. One aging woman who tried to tell my fortune from my palm said that Iroh was a large serpent with many heads and a cup of tea where evil should be.

Despite those tales, nothing could have prepared me for what an awful sleazebag he is.

I've seen the way he looks at me when my back is turned. There's greed in his eyes, a lust that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I try not to let my guard down too often, for fear that he might get disgusting ideas into that elderly head of his. He seems nice enough on the outside, with a gentle smile and belly laugh, kind wrinkles and graying hair. But I know better. I must be careful.

Then one morning I am stupid. Wiping my eyes and figuring it mustn't be past five in the morning, I emerge groggily from my tent and dust off my clothes. Normally my skin-tight outfit would have been removed for the night and folded as a pillow, but present company provides too much of a risk. That creepy old man and his nephew could easily overpower me this early with a surprise attack, especially one launched from the sky. I look up nervously, but the only thing above me is dark blue, perhaps speckled with rays of pink along the edge. No, that's red--the color of blood. Out in the open like any fool, I laugh, and laugh loudly.

Soon a hand is on my shoulder. I swear under my breath as a familiar voice whispers in my ear, "You're up awfully fast, Jun. Usually you're one to...sleep in."

"Lay off me, you freak," I growl angrily, twisting free. Iroh doesn't stop me. "You paid me to help that boy of yours capture some little kid. There's nothing in my job description about having to pleasure a--"

"What do you mean?" he asks, a fake innocence about him. "I am pleasured enough just talking to such an honorable young woman."

I glare as he dips low into a bow, the liar. Obviously, he is just trying to gain my trust so he can force me into something; no one could call a murderer honorable and keep a straight face, but he does. That makes me all the more cautious. "I'm a hired killer. There's nothing respectable about that, especially not the meager pay you deal to me."

Iroh chuckles a bit, sympathizing. "I see what you mean, but unfortunately I cannot afford to raise your salary. Although maybe I could arrange it if..."

"I'm not going to be your--"

"That's not what I mean." He holds up a hand quickly. "I was going to ask if we could have a chat, just the two of us."

I don't move, so he sighs and sits down by a circle of flat rocks, charred on one side. Lighting a fire in the middle, he says, "Jun, you are very smart and beautiful, but I hope you don't take that the wrong way."

There is no answer on my part as he continues, "You've got your wits, even when most of the world has fallen into the depth of panic and disorder. I respect that, and I respect you much too much to take advantage of you. Or anyone for that matter. I am not like that, and I hope one day you will be able to look at me without fear and talk without hesitation. We--all three of us, Prince Zuko included--have gotten off to a difficult start. What do you say we put this all behind us and begin again." He ambles to his feet and slights himself forward.

Silent, I do not return the gesture. Iroh waits, but I won't bow to such a..._nice man_. As he straightens and walks away, defeated, I realize my mistake. Here he is attempting to make amends, and I push him away. He could very well haunt me tonight for my rudeness and do all the things I dread. Then again, he could have done that before, but he didn't. Maybe the fallen general isn't so bad after all.

Carefully, I sneak up behind him as he puts water on for tea, and I trail my finger slowly up his back. The skin tingles through his fading shirt, and I smile wickedly. My lips are close to his ear now, a hairbreadth away from pink flesh. "General Iroh..." There is a hint of begging on my voice, a tone I only drop in when I have a goal in mind. Now, my goal is to conquer him before he has the chance to conquer me.

Oh yes, Iroh will break, and I will be the one to break him.

-----------------

For the record, I know that in my story, Jun thinks of Iroh as a pervert. Please don't flame me for it and please don't say that it was too "over the top". In canon, pretty much none of these pairings would ever happen, so I twist things. Now who wants virtual popcorn?

All requests accepted, no rules.

Hey, and I was wondering: Exactly how many chapters can fit on one story before it gets too full and a new story has to be started? I searched the longest stories on the board, but I couldn't really find any with chapters that went past about 45, I don't think. I'm figuring I'll continue this story as new when/if I reach 50 (the 'if ' depending on whether or not I get hit by a car sometime between here and chapter 50; I hope I didn't just jinx myself). I'd keep going with the requests I've received. That is, if you all want still want this to go on. If more people would rather I just quit (although I really don't want to) then I'll probably stop. It's fine either way, I suppose.


	27. Youzula

_Requested by joebob_

**Youzula--You x Azula**

NOTE: This is a very..._unique_...pairing, as the 'you' in Youzula actually refers to YOU, the reader. Hypothetically this could be a same-gender pairing if you are a girl, but it really depends. So WARNING: If you are a girl, you may want to stop reading, as this is about a bond between Azula and you. Also, don't read if you have a pathological fear of stories written with a second person point of view. You have been warned...

---------------------------

As you gently bring the goblet to your lips, you sense something isn't right. There is a faint prickle on the back of your neck—someone is watching you. For fear of being sent away from the Fire Nation palace, you sit silently and sip the tart drink placed in front of you. Your brow furrows and your mouth twists to form a disgusted grimace--that is awful! Too sour, you think, forcing it down and wiping your lips on the scarlet tablecloth. There is a footstep behind you, careful and soft, but you notice it all the same. Your head jerks up sharply at the intruder.

_Oh._

"What's the matter? You don't like the taste?" Coming into the dining hall, Azula rips a flag from its hook on the wall and brandishes it. "Don't stain our cloth. Use this rag instead."

Masking your hesitation, you accept the offer and gently polish the rim of your cup. Azula observes you intently while you work, as if expecting a response. When you don't reply, she finally quips, "My father may have hired you to work for me, but that doesn't make us equal." You keep quiet. "Because I will always be in charge, you know. _Always._"

This catches your attention. She leans forward, arching the majority of her torso over the wooden table. _What is she doing?_ you wonder, confused, but fast becoming anxious. Her eyes are naught but golden slits now, as yours are wide, frightened disks. Is this some sort of punishment? She draws closer, pupils steely and unrelenting, hands starting to creep towards yours. Unusually gentle, she snaps your eyelids shut with one finger, so you cannot see her come nearer. So you cannot be afraid.

You smell hot breath, rancid, the scent of decay--_what is that_--but you dare not peek. The reward for obedience will be far greater than the slight bit of knowledge you would gain from ruining the surprise. And you are sure you will be surprised, for isn't that her arm against yours, and her hair brushing against your face? There is an excited flush to your cheeks, a quickening to your breathing, an impatient groan from the bag of your throat.

A husky whisper in your ear: "You do know what will happen if you betray me, don't you? No? Well then perhaps I shall have to show you..." She touches delicately against your collarbone, a light feel leaving you wanting more, and now.

At last, smirking lips press firmly against yours. A little slimy, but you've been waiting for this moment too long to criticize the way Azula kisses. You reach up to pull her in deeper, but it isn't skin that meets your eager fingers, but scales. Your eyes pop open and peer downwards at your so-called love. Moaning in deceived anguish, you break away from the dead fish and fling it to the other side of the room. A merciless cackle rings in from the hallway at your stupidity, your innocence.

You are all alone in the Fire Nation dining hall, and the princess of scarcely a minute ago has fled.

---------------------------

Like it? Didn't like it? How about some feedback?

For the record, I will try to post a complete list of all the pairings to come in the bottom of my next fic. If you would like to see your request show up on the list, send it in soon. I will still accept requests after the list is posted, as this will just be an update.


	28. Hom Tom

(UPDATED LIST AT BOTTOM OF FIC)

_Requested by Avatar Wolf_

**Hom Tom--Hope x Tom Tom**

The streets of Ba Sing Se are littered with waste, the curbs paved with unwanted garbage. Dead bodies of starved beggars lie stiffly on the ground, sometimes robbed of their clothing and left to be picked apart. Flies travel in swarms in all parts of the city, for neither the Upper nor the Lower Ring could escape devastation. Even the lowest of men steer clear of the fallen city, walk by with their noses turned up, dare not speak its name. Bandits travel together, looting the bloodstained remains of war grounds. Broken bones, shards of glass, and splintered wood are all that remain, having no value, but the potential to be a powerful weapon. Twice officials have tried to rebuild Ba Sing Se; twice the hallowed stillness and the spirits of the killed drove them out. No one is to mess with a single thing, and Ba Sing Se will stay a wreck forever more.

Within the crumbling walls, in a tiny apartment to the farthest east, two infants sleep restlessly through it all. Neither have seen a trace of their parents since the war ended, or if they have, neither have any memory of it. Then again, no one remembers much of anything anymore. Even the elderly woman who'd rescued the babies from opposite sides of the city and nursed them until her death often found herself wondering how she'd come to be in possession of children that weren't hers. Her corpse is still slumped over the side of a small chair.

Fourteen years later, Hope rolls over in her bed and studies her friend's sleeping form. Tom Tom's chest rises and falls gently, his head lolled tiredly to the side. When a kind hand shakes his shoulder, he yawns and rubs his red-rimmed eyes. Stretching, he rises and begins to fold the blankets. They are thin and worn, patched and faded, but all the orphans have. It's the best they can do, the best anyone can do.

Hope's stomach rumbles its familiar plea, but she, as usual, ignores it. Unspoiled food is getting increasingly harder to come by, a rare delicacy in Ba Sing Se. Instead, she drinks from a dented tin cup of mud-swirled water to calm her famine. Dozens of diseases breed inside her body, spawning from her poor lifestyle. Yet no matter how horrible their situation is, Hope and Tom Tom can't leave; they've never known any other way to live, and wouldn't be able to make it on their own. Besides, if they hold out long enough, a miracle is sure to deliver them soon. Whether or not that happens to be death, they don't care, but belief is their guide.

Belief, that is, and love.

Hope looks out to the ruins below her window and sighs. Once, she is sure, Ba Sing Se had flourished; now it is nothing. The few citizens remaining never leave their homes, terribly scared and unable to escape due to fear. Hope knows this feeling well; it envelopes her every night, attacks her dreams, forces her to reach out to the only person she has left.

Said person sees the familiar dull in her eyes, the way her shoulders droop slightly, the heaviness to her breathing. Cautiously, Tom Tom stands beside her. He, too, wishes for deliverance, but in the form of marriage, a family. As he is only eighteen, two years Hope's senior, the idea goes unmentioned, off-limits. Despite his promise to himself, he cannot help but notice the delicate curve to her cheeks, the soft curl of her eyelashes, her golden skin that so fiercely contrasts his. His hand reaches tentatively to hers, which accepts it with sad grace. Their fingers intertwine as Hope leans her head on his shoulder.

They stay like that for several minutes, the girl dangerously close to her protector, the beating of their hearts in perfect sync. At last she breaks away and wraps her arms deathly tight around his waist. Tears stream from one survivor, then the other as they observe the death below. If there was ever another state of Ba Sing Se, they hope for it to return to the wreckage and do away with it all. Hope buries her face into Tom Tom's chest, now sobbing and with no end in sight. The older teenager tries to regain composure for her sake, but fails miserably and allows himself to run through her untamed black hair. Time slips away, passing the mourners. They will not let go, no matter what happens against them. Why?

Because all they have left is each other.

----------------------------------------------

All pairings, no limits. Same-gender, crack, whatever suits your fancy.

Woot! I finally reached 100 reviews! (I'm at 101 as of now). I've always wanted to reach a hundred reviews, because I thought it was so cool. Now I see stories with more than 1100, and don't feel so great. Anyway, now I am shooting for 200, but that'll come if it comes...

Here are the requested pairingsthat are yet to be written. (**NOTE:** This list is just organized by requester, and not by the order I plan to write them.)

Ozai x Appa (**TrueThinker)**

Mai x Ty Lee

Momo x Appa

Earth King x Cabbage Merchant

Xin Fu x Foam Mouth Guy

Jet x Yue

Sokka x Momo

aang x roku  
zuko x zhao  
katara x meng  
suki x tylee  
sokka x azula x longfeng x cabbage guy  
paku x jun  
teo x mai  
teo x momo  
teo x jet  
teo x longshot  
teo x smellerbee  
teo x crazy-foaming-at-the-mouth guy  
teo x azula  
teo x ozai  
mai x iroh  
azula x bumi  
iroh x sokka x aang  
mary-sue spoof x zuko

iroh x that old lady from the train station  
zuko x tea  
azula x fanfic archive  
aang x the rabbiroo from tales of ba-sing-se  
azula x roku  
azula x jin  
azula x katara  
azula x suki  
azula x aang  
azula x avatar kyoshi

Jin x Suki **(joebob)**

Yue x Azula

Jin x Aang (**Roxius)**

Toph x Longshot 2 (**OMGAH You've Been Pixified)**

Hope x Tom-Tom

Toph x Kuzon (**AvatarWolf)**

Suki x Sokka

Jet x Mai

Meng x Toph **(Childe at Heart)**

Mai x Zuko 3

Toph x Sokka 2

Long Feng x Azula

Bosco x Momo

Aunt Wu x Kuei Earth King

Foamy x Azula

Zuko x Meng (**forgetmenot45)**

The Duke x toph

Yue x Lu Ten

Yue x Agni

Katara x Ozai (**AvatarWolf)**

Roku x Ty Lee

Koh x Suki

Toph x Gystso

Aunt Wu x Guru Pathik

Jeong Jeong x Jun

Haru x Mai

Hei Bei (Forest Spirit) x Smellerbee

Cabbage Merchant x Gran Gran

Fire Sage Shyu x Azula

Zhao x Joo Dee

Meng x Teo (**insane wacko)**

Jin x Zuko (**lilly1542)**

Teo x Toph

Aang x Meng

June x Azula

Iroh x Aunt Wu

Suki x Foam Mouth Guy (**Teoph!)**

Suki x Mai (**Jade)**

Mai x Katara (**amaurea)**

Sokkula 2 (**spartanearthbender)**

Katara x Azula (**ara6012)**

Mai x Zuko 3 (**softballgirl9411)**

Yue x Sokka

Suki x Sokka

Jeong Jeong x Zhao

ChintheGreatxAvatarKyoshi

Suki x Foam Mouth Guy

Mai x Azula

Blue Spirit x Katara

Cabbage Merchant x Avatar Roku

Katara x Foam Mouth Guy

Jet x Aang

Toph x Azula

Jin x Zuko (**Zutarafan16)**

Jet x Azula

Sokka x Suki

You x Azula 2 (**Sapphire Wolf Master)**

Ursa x Ozai (**Alya Riddle)**


	29. Mary Zue

_Requested by joebob_

**Mary Zue--Mary Sue x Zuko**

(NOTE: For those of you that don't know, a Mary Sue is an original character that is perfect to the point where you just want to throttle her. This is a parody, so please do not take it seriously. Please.)

Her name was Becky.

Her full name was Raven Shadow Mary Flame Ghost Sue Spectrum, but she preferred the name Becky. Clouds stormed the sky as she descended from above, her angelic form encircled by a heavenly beam of light. When her delicate, size four feet touched upon the ground, the world seemed to stop. Or rather, it had stopped, for she'd used her timebending abilities to do so. Power over time had been a lost art, known only to the people of her culture. Like the Air Nomads, her nation Timstoppia had been the victim of a vicious mass genocide. Only Becky and her twin brother Dark Gary River Whisper Evil Stu Ocean, more often referred to as Jason, had been spared. Jason, of course, did not have any powers, leaving Becky the last living timebender. She'd decided to leave her ruined home and go to see Prince Zuko--because a ridiculously large chest, scarlet-tipped onyx hair, and a figure full but so small that it was in the negatives could solve everything, even a century old war. That made perfect sense, at least to her.

Becky had a hunch about where to find the prince. In addition to being part waterbender, part firebender, part earthbender, and part airbender, she'd also inherited a small dose of physic powers from her great grandmother. Visions came whenever she wanted them to, and were always crystal clear. When she concentrated, an image of a scarred young man by a campfire popped into her head, and when opened her eyes, she stood right in front of him.

"Thank you, teleportation." Becky whistled under her breath. "And my great great grandmother."

Zuko looked up, alarmed, from his jook. "Who...or what, for that matter...are you?"

"Well." Becky flashed her purple-green eyes dangerously, a trait from her great great _great_ grandmother, who, coincidentally, also happened to be related to Gyatso. "My name is Raven Shadow Mary Flame Ghost Sue Spectrum, but--"

"I don't know what that is!" Zuko flung down his bowl, clearly not pleased with the female intruder. "Leave. Now!"

"Oh, silly boy, you don't want to anger me--I would win in any fight. Besides, upon seeing my beauty, you were automatically entranced. All the boys are," Becky recalled, thinking of the many suitors she'd already crushed. "You are in love, and why wouldn't you be? Please don't tell me to go." She quivered her bottom lip pitifully and ticked her good points on her fingers. "You don't want to give me up. I am an airbender, waterbender, earthbender, and firebender. I am a prodigy, and my powers are greater than both Azula's and Ozai's combined. I can tell the future, control time, read minds, and even bend shadows, spirits, love, dreams, wishes, blood, and pretty much anything else that exists. As an added bonus I am rather voluptuous, as you can plainly see. My look alone will begin a revolution, and I shall lead the troops into battle."

Zuko's temple throbbed; it was getting late, he was tired, and the last thing needed was some sort of freaky princess making up a cartload of lies.

"Oh, they're not lies," Becky cut in, hearing his silent thoughts. "But yes, I am a princess. That of Timstoppia, in fact, but my kingdom has been destroyed."

"Well, if everyone there was anything like you, I can see why." Zuko grumbled, picking up his spilled food.

"What was that?"

"Whatever you are, leave me alone!" Forgetting about his jook, he turned swiftly to retreat into his tent.

"Oh but Zuko..." Becky whined, placing a perfectly manicured hand on his chest. "Why don't we stop with the games?"

"What is wrong with you--mmgph!" Becky's lips tasted only of the sweetest candy, of pure sugar, of unflaked lust. She kissed the struggling boy passionately, despite the fact that he was desperately trying to force her away.

When at last Becky let up, the revengeful Zuko's face had deepened to a murderous red, but not due to embarrassment; no, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he shot a fireball with all the contempt he could muster. Because the girl was caught terribly off guard, the weapon burned a clean hold through her stomach, singed her clothing, tore out her insides. With her face still twisted in a tragic yet beautiful, surprised yet all-knowing expression, Becky staggered backwards and collapsed to the dirt. She went down gracefully, with long hair cushioning her fall and one arm draped dramatically over her forehead. Many moments passed by, for all of which she was still.

Zuko, satisfied, scooped up what little remained of his meal and prepared to bed down for the night. He would rest in peace, as he'd permantently taken care of _that_ problem.

But with dawn, sunlight slipped over Becky as she rose silently, checking to make sure the already healed wound had not left any unattractive scars. Finding none, she smiled to herself.

For people like Becky never died.

------------------

All requests, no matter gender or characters.

Oh and sorry. Yesterday I left out two requests that were on the list, I believe.

Mai x Katara

Katara x Ty Lee (**ch3rryf1ava)**

And just to say, you don't have to request if you leave a review; if you just want to comment on the fic or say hi, that's wonderful too.


	30. Sukka

_Requested by Childe at Heart and Sapphire Wolf Master_

**Sukka--Suki x Sokka**

--Takes Place During the Serpent's Pass--

Goodbyes are never easy.

I mean, I always stutter, or choke, or trip. My disposition has never been that of a sentimental guy; I'm just a regular boy with no time to get emotional. Yet I always do. Whether I'm to be gone only a few days or a year, the words never manage to come out quite right. Sometimes they sound too personal and sad, other times lighthearted and nonchalant. Although I never show it properly, I really do hate to see anyone go. Even the people I don't care for; when Aang left my village, the only thing keeping me from crying out was the harsh bite forced on the inside of my cheek. Later, as I examined the bloody teeth marks rather awkwardly in the mirror, I contemplated my life. For once, my mind reached a sort of conclusion: Goodbyes are the worst part of meeting someone new. While I may bow upon making the acquaintance of a fellow warrior, there is a small part of me that whispers in my ear, reminds me that eventually I'll have to leave. All the more reason for me to hate saying goodbye, I figure, as if everything else wasn't enough.

It's even worse with Suki. As we stand on the wall overlooking the Serpent's Pass, she looks at me sadly with wide, innocent eyes and mutters some sort of apology. She says she shouldn't have, she didn't know what she was thinking, and that she is sorry. She continues, but I don't know what she's referring to. After a brief moment, I remember: Last night's regrets under the moon.

The little sleep that visited after that event brought restless dreams, what some could classify as nightmares. Were they really that bad? One, in particular, forced me to sob dry tears.

_I was on a large island that was eerily empty, haunting. Above me hung the purest of pure full moons, while the ground beneath my feet rolled with thick grass. Lush green plants twisted the scenic background; coal ravens provided their songs through the silence. Not that there was any, actually, for a pair voices rose from the heart of the jungle, booming and ominous. Even though they were harsh, I easily made the distinction between the two--one was clearly Suki's, while the other most definitely belonged to--_

_I cringed. Yue. _

_"Do you still mourn for me?" A shadow cast over her moon. "Do you still mourn for your fallen first love?"_

_"Yes," I yelled to the sky. "Yes, everyday!"_

_"Then what of me, Sokka?" This was Suki. "You are sad for her all the time? Never happy for what we have?"_

_"No," I assured her hastily. "I am. It's just that--"_

_"Is it that whenever you see me you turn the other way? Am I that ugly?"_

_"You're beautiful Suki, and you Yue. Both of you."_

_"Do not bother with me. I am lost now, for you have already began to forget." The moon started to fade into the pitch abyss. "You are losing your memories."_

_"No I'm not! I think about you every day!" _

_"That's not all memories are," Yue lamented. "Not just thinking, but loving."_

_"I love you! I love both of you!" I dropped to my knees and brought my hands to my chin. Why couldn't they see? I couldn't, I wouldn't, choose between them._

_"I want you to be happy, Sokka." The world slowly darkened, and the earth beneath my feet began to crumble. "That's all I ever wanted, because I still love you."_

_"And I, you!" _

_"Go with your new love." Sinking clouds rolled in front of the invisible moon, smothering all light with one swift sweep. I must've next been blind, as I could see nothing, nor was I supported in the air. Despite being suspended I wasn't frightened, for Suki's soft voice sang in my ear._

_"Come to me, Sokka."_

Unable to contain myself any longer, I cave. Grabbing a very surprised Suki, I pull her lips to meet mine. There's no way to explain it, but it just feels right: gentle, smooth, eloquent. This is the final goodbye between her and me, and if she were to die tomorrow I'd like to make the best of it. I lost Yue without properly expressing my feelings; I won't make the same mistake with Suki. We'll part, and who knows if I'll ever see her again.

Goodbyes are never easy.

---------------------------

You all know the deal: all requests are accepted, including same gender, crack!, canon, fanon, blah blah blah. Okay great.

A quick note to joebob: Your requests have me twitching. A lot. Hey, besides you, who has sent in the most requests? Just out of curiosity.


	31. Teoph

_Requested by Teoph! _

**Teoph--Teo x Toph**

The large, open hall that leads from the gardens to the cliffs is my haven. Chipped paint and aged drawings adorn the curved walls, up up up, until they empty into the sky. My eyes follow pictures of strange animals: lemurs and lionhawks, bisons and eaglemoles, the gaping mouth of some sort of rabbit baring teeth sharp enough to rip a man's skull in half. Being not a man, but a boy, I flash my own set right at him in a daring sneer and roll away. The wheels on my chair scrape against the stone, wood on rock, a pleasant sound. It's music, my music, the music that I've learned to compose every day since I found a way to move. To any bystanders the racket would have no meaning, no depth, would be just pointless noise without a purpose. I know what it really is, but no one else understands.

I come out from beneath the arched structure and push myself to the Vined Cliffs. Once, the ledges had been beautiful to behold, lush with fresh food and winding plants, my father'd told me. He'd said that a trio of lemurs used to peek their heads out of the greenery and whip you with their tail when they were hungry. The crops that used to grow on the Cliffs were rumored to bring everlasting life, and though that was never proven, greedy refugees came out at dawn every morning to drain the Heartsgrim, a delicious and juicy fruit. Now all that is gone. The lemurs were skinned and eaten long ago, the vines trampled and shorn, the benefits abused and tossed away. The only life remaining belongs to a sickly tangle of weeds that sprout from the cracks in the Cliffs. I reach down stiffly to pluck them, but before my fingers can close around their stems some strange force knocks me backwards. My chair separates from my body, and we land in different places. I am curled on my side at the foot of someone, clutching at my side.

I wince at the awkward position of my right arm, as it is twisted unnaturally behind me. If feels as if some sort of boulder barreled into my hip, for the bluing skin is beginning to swell under my careful left hand. My eyes squeeze shut. If this is some revengeful Fire Nation soldier, please let him take me now, I plead to no one in particular, anyone who could help. If I have to die right now, please let it be quick and easy. One swift blow is all I'm asking--

Aagh! My teeth dig into my bottom lip as another blow hits me, this time straight to my abdomen. It gets me up on my feet, but my legs are unable to hold themselves alone; instinctively, I reach out to my attacker for support, who promptly shrieks.

From under the edge of one protective eyelid, I look, then laugh. It's nothing but a girl, shorter than I am and perhaps twice as wide. "You're just a--"

With a growl, she brings her fists in, then shoves them outward. A wedge of ground beneath my feet leaps up to knock my chest. "What was that for, you maniac?" I screech, down on my knees once more and feeling quite nauseous. "What's wrong with you?"

"Look." The girl's eyes are frosted over, indicating that she is blind as she holds out a hand. In the center of her palm rest two seeds, fragile, small. "Over there..." I know where she is referring to. "There's death. I feel it and I don't like it."

"There's nothing I can do about it. You neither." I struggle into a seating position. "The Vined Cliffs have been gone for practically forever, since a few years after I began remembering. It's too late."

"Are you going to be a pansy and lay on the ground all day, or are you going to rise and actually help me do something?" With a well-aimed kick, she forces me up and into my chair. The shock is not something I'll get used to any time soon, but I decide to go along with her plan.

Ahead of her, I roll until we reach the very tip of the Vined Cliffs. Below us await lethal falls and miniature mountains that look as if they'd destroy all that took an unfortunate tumble off their side. The girl steps out as far as she can without losing her balance. After holding the position for several minutes, she points at a spot that it imposible to reach. "There. Plant it there."

"No, I'll die!" She shrugs. "I won't go! You've already tossed me around enough today! I don't even know you! And even if I did, I still wouldn't risk my neck! What's wrong with you? No one wants to go down there, especially me! You know why? Because what used to be here will never grow back! I've tried. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried again, but it won't. That area is nothing but a ghost yard that no one can change. It's like that people. When they're gone, you try to bring them back, but they'll never come. Not for good. My mother... my father and I worked so hard, but nothing good ever came out of that. It's not going to work."

Without saying a word, the girl creeps to my chair, a punch chambered and waiting at her side. She appears as though she'd going to hit me, but no; instead, she presses a seed into my hand and lifts her own to the sky. I hesitate before following her; then a strong gust of wind carries the babies off to a new life, a new beginning, a happy ending.

I am too busy watching them sway, spin, dance out of sight to notice a change in the atmosphere. Slowly, as if unsure of herself, the girl leans her head on my shoulder. Hallowed seconds pass like hours with no sound from either of us, until... until...

"I'm supposed to be strong." The girl sniffed loudly and ran her nose along her sleeve. "Toph Bei Fong is supposed to be invincible, but look at me now. I'm pathetic."

With a gentle touch, I ease her further into me. Toph shifts, then rests a tearstained cheek to my neck, her arms sliding over my shoulders. I'm not sure if she means to be romantic or simply friendly, but for now, I think I'll just let her cry.

--------------

All requests no matter what...you guys know the drill by now. Any and all.

**To joebob:** Actually, it was more the "Mystc Katt x Foamy Guy" and "Mystic Katt x Cabbage Merchant" that gave me seizures; the others were fine. Strange and twisted, but fine. I'll have you know that I am having very disturbing Foamy Guy dreams now, thanks to you. Grrr... (Just kidding, of course.)

But on an "I seriously need you guy's help and soon" note, I seriously need you guy's help and soon. All of you. All right, not so much help but an opinion. If you think it is really lame for me to post this here, maybe it is, but none of the forums worked and I'm having trouble deciding on something, so I figured, "Who better to ask than the few people on earth who can semi-tolerate my writing?"

So February 1st is on Thursday, and I am going to begin FebNoWriMo, a spin-off of National Novel Writing Month where the goal is to write a fifty-thousand word story (that could technically be called a novel) in one month. I did NaNoWriMo back in November and won, so I'm going to try to write a fifty-thousand word Avatar fanfic in February. I have an idea, but what I would like to know is: **Would you guys read something like this? **

**---- **

Takes place twenty to twenty-five years after the war. In a small Earth Kingdom village near the South Pole, fourteen-year-old BOY (who we will now call "BOY" because I haven't thought of a name) lived an uneventful life with his parents and his crippled female friend SAYA. After Azula fell from power and King Bumi died, the new ruler, King Ha Meh, attempts to gain popularity by opening an earthbending boarding academy. BOY is reluctant to leave his old life, but the king orders that all underage benders must attend the school. However, the academy is built on top of the Cave of Two Lovers, and the revengeful spirits of those trapped and dead decide to wreak havoc on the school. Relationships are messed up, training is becoming hopeless, and the school is slowly losing contact with the outside world. Will BOY give in to his greed and join the ghosts? When something horrible is about to happen, will the only students in the school who haven't gone crazy be able to thwart the ghosts? And when they can't, what will be the price?

------

That is a very rough (and seemingly clichéd) outline for it. I have planned out a series of fanfictions about the school, the romances, the hardships, the history, the ghosts, the return of friends long thought gone.

I would just really, _really _like to know if you, as a reader, would read something like this. Not that it matters how many readers I have, but I was just wondering. If you would read it, why? If you wouldn't, then why not? Any ideas to make it better? Should I scrap it altogether and quit? I'd just like to work out the kinks before midnight of February 1st. Please respond in some way or another, and sorry if I sound desperate.

For the record, I would still update this fic even during FebNoWriMo.


	32. Blutara

_Requested by Zutarafan16_

**Blutara--Blue Spirit x Katara**

Somewhere above me the sky is blue, and somewhere below there is ground. Where exactly, I don't know; when I'll hit it, I'm in no hurry to find out. The only facts I can be certain of now are my end is fast approaching and today the world will lose its best waterbender. That Azula will pay is a given, but then again so will I.

My heart pounds like drums in my chest, obediently beating out Katara's last lament. My forehead is on fire with sudden fever, and my palms run thick with sweat. No oxygen will come to my lungs, no matter how hard I try to suck in great gulps of thin air. Actually, plummeting to the earth after a horrible defeat is not an unpleasant feeling, but one that I'll always remember--provided I miraculously survive. It's as if I'm weightless, able to float without the everyday complications of what some scholars call 'gravity'. I probably would enjoy this a lot more if my life weren't at stake. There's nothing to do except maintain a level head until my...until my death. There, I said it. I'm going to die.

As I approach the moment of my destruction, questions of remorse arise: Why did I split from Aang and Sokka; why did I stupidly go to search for Azula; why did I insist on cornering her on Mount Yusami even though there was no one else around? Why, why, why! Now I'm obviously paying dearly for my mistakes, but what about my accomplishments? I helped the avatar in his quest, didn't I? Then what--

From what appears to be nowhere, a bony hand swoops in and catches my hurtling body. In a flash, someone grips my waist and brings me to the nearest ledge a hundred feet down. His left fist reaches across my stomach and pulls me up, while the right keeps a tight hold on the rock. My gaze travels from his arms, up his slim torso, over the tightly knotted cord that sits high on his hips to stop him from slipping, then finally to his face.

My rescuer's spirit mask doesn't come off even when he lays me down. It's made of some sort of blue wood tied in the back with a ribbon, but other than that it's nothing special. Save for the fact that it harbors a familiar appearance--where have I seen it before? I must've passed it once in the streets, but where? On a merchant cart maybe, or some sort of advertisement. Yes, that's it. He was featured on several fliers, I recall, so one of them was probably to be selling something. I think.

I try to sit up, but the Spirit gently forces me back andserves a small cup of hot tea. Steam curls from the brim, a delicious aroma. "Where did you get this?" I close my eyes in bliss as the fiery liquid slides down my throat, ginger splashing against my tongue. "It's delicious."

The Spirit doesn't say anything. "Is that your camp down there?" He looks to where I point, fifty yards under us on the ground where a campfire smokes. "And I fell from all the way up there?" My neck cranes as far as it can, but the tip of Mount Yusami is hidden behind a rolling band of clouds. "And you saved me about right there?"

Slowly, he nods. Impressed, I reach over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. It's the least I can show of gratitude for someone who risked his life to save mine. My lips press against the wooden covering first, immediately causing his cheeks to grow warm. I can feel it as I reach behind his head to undo the ribbons: Heated flesh under untidy hair. My fingers work almost entirely through the twists before the Spirit slaps me away, a jerking panic to his movements. Hastily tipping my cup over my mouth, he forces me to swallow what's left of the tea.

What is this? Suddenly, the drink doesn't taste so wonderful anymore, but of dirty water, dried grass, and perhaps a bit of poison. It certainly seems so, for my head grows unbearably heavy on my shoulders, my eyelids become impossible to keep up, and my train of thought trails off. The entire world fades to pitch, beginning first at gray and deepening steadily until I can no longer see anything. Not the Spirit, not the mountain, not the camp...

When I awake, the Spirit is gone.

--------------------------------

Request, leave a comment, criticize my work...you know you want to reply to what you read.

And **joebob:** Yes, this might be a lame question but (gulp) who's Farley? Or what, perhaps. Okay yes, I'm missing out. Don't yell at me. But I do like the name...


	33. Sukai

_Requested by Jade_

**Sukai--Suki x Mai**

**WARNING: This is a same-gender pairing. If you are opposed, skip to a different (straight) chapter.**

--Takes Place During Appa's Lost Days--

She is the only one that stays.

Crimson blood drips from my back to the soft wood of the tree behind me, soaking deep red like paint into the bark. Splinters pierce the irritated flesh, shooting pain up my spine. Makeup smears across my face, a cruel joke of Azula's that after she was done she'd make me a clown. She did exactly that; once Ty Lee numbed my bending, Azula stripped away my clothes. She ripped them off slowly to prolong the humiliation, while all I could do was lean lamely on my captors as they left me bare and dressed themselves in stolen uniforms. They tossed the other two abushed Kyoshi warriors their old Fire Nation garments to slip into, but I received nothing. Azula sent my trembling comrades back to the Earth Kingdom, leaving me with my arms bound behind a tall oak and only my legs free.

I find twisting is useless against the strong bonds, only forcing the braided strands of rope to dig further into my wrists. Stalking away with Ty Lee fast at her heels, Azula laughs ruthlessly at my nakedness. She takes one last, sneering look before she and her most energetic assistant disappear into a tangle of evergreens. Hiding blushing cheeks, I bring my knees to my exposed chest to cover as much as possible. Not that there's anyone to see me, except...

My gaze connects swiftly with that of Azula's final crony, then casts immediately to the dirt. She, Mai, continues to stare, although not lustfully--curiously. With tight, grim lips she watches me try to escape first by jerking my arms, then by gnawing at the ties. Neither of my tactics work, but do leave me slightly tired and with sore gums. Mai is silent.

"Don't you have to brownnose the princess somewhere else right now?" I spit.

She blinks slowly as if unsure how to answer. "I'm no kiss-up."

"Sure you're not. Then why are you wearing what she told you to wear?" The words come out as a harsh growl. "Are you trying to please Azula by capturing me? Is that it? Are you going to wait there until I'm too exhausted to go on, then snatch me up and feed me to a serpent? I hate to point out the obvious, but Azula's had all she wants with the supposedly helpless Suki. Now you can have whatever you want with me, but it won't do a bit of good."

That doesn't sound quite the way out loud as it did in my head, ringing with a rather dirtier undertone when spoken. Mai's forehead creases for a moment, perhaps indicating that she is thinking. About what: Laughing, I'd say, because hardly quarter of a minute passes before she begins to snicker. Within half that time her expression has faded back into its original nothing, blank and unreadable, and her voice regains its monotonic drawl. "What would I possibly want you for?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snap, forgetting that she has the upper hand in this situation, and so would be unwise to grow testy. "What's wrong with me?"

Mai rolls thin golden eyes and crosses her legs next to mine on the grass. "You Ky-no-si people are all the same."

"It's Kyoshi."

"I don't care," she retaliates bitterly. "You play dress-up all day and for what? In case some big bad man tries to attack an island full of heavily lipsticked girls?" She cups my head in her hands to wipe away caked-on foundation. "Is all of this really necessary? You're probably pretty enough to not wear makeup."

Despite myself, I beam, taking her compliment to heart.

"Or maybe you're just incredibly ugly, have a disfiguring rash that stretches all the way across your nose, a cluster of unsightly freckles, and a boil protruding from your chin. I'd put my money on that one."

My snuile fades. "Well maybe I'm just beautiful."

It's now that I realize just how close we are, our lips not but a hairsbreadth from each other's, Mai is still halfheartedly caressing my cheek. Does she know she's doing that? Warm breath curls to my nostrils, smelling unpleasantly of stale wine and rotten meat. I don't want to move any farther away, but the stench becomes unbearable. My legs shift uncomfortably, and Mai hastily pulls back.

"Sorry." Upon receiving no answer, I sigh.

Removing a trio of knives from the folds of her green robes, Mai grips my left hand in hers. The blade slices not across the inside of my arm as I'd assumed, but through the thick ropes. With partial freedom I help her to work through the next set of knotted coils. I flex my wrists gratefully. They must've been trapped for at least two hours, and are just as glad as I to be loose. "Thank you."

"Just don't tell Azula that I did this." Mai thrusts a bundle of red fabric at me as she leaves. "And please put on some clothes."

------------------------------------------------------------

This fic was based off the question of what happened to Suki after Azula's attack. Some say Azula killed her, and some say she stole Suki's clothes and left her out in the woods. The second theory was much easier to write about..

Thanks to everyone that replied! I really apreciate it.


	34. Somo

_Requested by joebob_

**Somo--Sokka x Momo**

Thunder crashes from outside like a thousand giants stomping in the clouds. Wind slaps freezing rain against the thin fabric of my tent, pounding, beating, sloshing. I burrow further into my sleeping bag against the intense chill, warmed only by a sudden white-hot flash of light. Seconds later, the thunder comes again.

Sokka the warrior. Sokka the brave warrior. Sokka the brave, valiant warrior. Sokka the brave, valiant, handsome warrior. Despite the fear, I smile. Repeating a phrase in my head used to help me all the time when I was a little boy, and has yet to fail. Slowly the terror fades away, into nonexistence, into darkness. My fast beating heart calms; my breathing steadies. That is, until the next flash of lightning illuminates the sky. A streak of white darts between open flaps of canvas, scampers to my head, nestles into my hair. It, whatever it is, screeches in my ear.

I scream.

The monster falls as I leap up and grab my club. One, two, three swings, all misses. It effortlessly jumps over the weapon on the fourth blow, unscathed. A tiny head with giant ears head cocks curiously to the side. The beast is watching, waiting, preparing to attack. My fingers tighten dangerously around the grip of the club; my eyes never leave this other pair, this bright, innocent pair. Why isn't it moving? This must be a trick. It must know what I'm about to do. It's going to--

Tiny wings spread wide as the creature latches itself to my face. Sharpened claws dig into flesh with force enough to kill. Breath, putrid breath, hot and sticky, blows in my nostrils. Poison! And worse, my legs wobble suddenly, then give out with a horrible _crack! _Why oh why do they choose now to fail me? My arms drop limply to my sides. I follow my club to the ground, defeated. The monster is going to eat me!

Well...when, now? I guess not. Now? No, not now either. Will it hurry up for crying out loud! Now? Yes, now! Wait...no, I'm still alive. I crack one eye uncertainly, wary of whether I'll be staring into the teeth of a murderer or if my attacker has thankfully stalked away. It's not there. Without moving my head, I look cautiously to one side, then the other. Where is it? In that corner? Or that one? Under those piles of blankets?

Something squeaks. My soon-to-be killer.

Oh, it's Momo.

"Ugh, get away!" I shove him off impatiently. "Can't you stupid animal see that I'm about to be eaten?"

Momo says nothing, climbs onto me with sticky wet fur and a ticklish tail that brushes under my nose. I must be going crazy, but I swear he patted my back just now when I sneezed. No matter how many times I shake him away, once, twice, three times, he keeps running back to curl up on my chest. Momo's tails wraps snugly around his tiny body, his face content with this position even though I'm not.

With a sigh, I reach my fingers for a square of scratchy green fabric and towel him dry, then drape the miniature covers over his back. Momo nuzzles me graciously with an air of small triumph. He brings his nose to my cheek in what seems to be a goodnight kiss of some sort before settling down to sleep.

The only reason I let him stay is because the monster must have frightened him too.


	35. Maang

_Requested by Teoph!_

**Maang--Meng x Aang**

--Takes Place During The Fortuneteller--

_And so, I think, how very lucky would I be_

_If I could get the avatar to fall in love with me?_

There he is, big ears and all, his cloak billowing around him as he kneels on a small square of carpet: My true love. Just this morning Aunt Wu foretold that I would marry such a big-eared fellow, and who could she mean but him? The arrow on his forehead sets him off, makes him different, marks him as mine. Well, soon to be mine; we haven't actually met yet, but that's about to change.

My best robes are neatly pressed, never worn, in mint condition. I hope he likes them. Quickly I smooth down my hair with a stray hand, but it does no difference--these horrible, monstrous braids will stick out forever. Lovely reed-and-pipe music twinkles faintly from outside, a good omen, so I prop the back door open for the full effect. My nicest sandals add height, perhaps giving me the appearance of someone older, a tall, thin, fifteen year old young woman instead of a homely, gap toothed child. I groan to myself. The last thing I want the avatar to think is that I'm some inexperienced little girl.

I will just have to show him otherwise.

Oh, he's even more adorable in person! My heart pounds so loudly I can barely hear the words spill from my mouth. We hold a short conversation, in which I offer to get him some snacks and his annoying companion insists on ruining the moment with unnecessary loud comments. I shush the sidekick, grin at the avatar, and disappear into the back room, having successfully left the boys with only a mysterious inkling of the wonder that is Meng.

I listen curiously to Aunt Wu's conversation with a young girl, her latest charge, as they talk across the hall. My ear pressed lightly against the left wall can pick up any hints that this new girl might be the lucky one to land the avatar. Not a chance, I think to myself with a small chuckle, he's already been promised to me--

"You will marry a powerful bender," says a raspy voice, a familiar one, and right now a betraying one.

What? No! 'Powerful bender' couldn't mean the avatar, could it? "Of course not," I reason aloud. "I've already claimed him for myself." Which means she can't have him, even if I have to tackle someone to make sure. And I would. Trust me, I would knock her down in half a second and then wipe the blood on her dress.

"Meng, how could you think such a thing?" I chastise myself. "You're becoming just as bad as the Fire Nation if you're willing to kill for what you want."

That's why I love the avatar. He'll stop the murders, he'll stop the war, he'll stop all the burnings and thefts and lies. I have to work because my family cannot, forced to a terrible fate by a rowdy band of Fire Nation soldiers. My job, and my job alone, puts food in my stomach. When business is slow sometimes I don't eat. When smoke and ash pollute the water I'm unable to bathe. When someone stole my first bed four years ago I slept on the floor for a month until a new one could be salvaged. That's just the way it is in a poor village, but it doesn't always have to be. The avatar will make the entire world better. I trust him. The world trusts him. I want him. That watertribe girl wants him.

And from the way he's staring at her, I'd say he wants her right back.

_Floozy._

_-----------------------------------------------_

**joebob: **In the Somo fic, in Sokka's world, it was late at night. He was half asleep and had been just scared out of his wits by what he thought was a monster. The way he remembered the creature was as a large, hairy beast that was about to eat his face. So when he looked over and saw Momo, he didn't right away make the connection between Momo and "the monster". So yeah, he thought they were two separate people. Actually, I'd originally written that Sokka figured it out after a split second, threw Momo out, then went back guiltily to get him. Then I erased those last 500 words because I thought they ruined the fluff, and the fic could be stopped right after the monster attack. So I did. Just know that no, I didn't think Sokka was stupid, just a bit too scared to put two and two together right away. That's all.

**joebob (continued): **Actually, I don't even know the order I'm going to do the pairings in. I have the main list, and I just pick the ones I feel like doing when I feel like doing them. I tried doing them in the order they were requested for a while until I hit major writer's block (at least major for me, it went on for about two days) and chose one of the funnier ones to do. Sometimes I start a fic and don't finish because I don't like it. I've started two Yagnis, a Mai Lee, a failed Zutara, a failed Somo that I finished early but didn't like, and a horribly horrible Jinko that never got past the fifth sentence. There might be more, but I don't have the heart to go back and look at them. So sorry, but if I do come up with a magical list of all the pairings I'm going to do in the exact order I'm going to do it, despite sudden outbreaks of writer's block or boredom, I'll be sure to post it. Until then, I'll keep picking and choosing at random which ones I have ideas for. -sigh- It's all a game of hit and miss.

To everyone: Sorry for not updating as often as usual. Things have been kind of hectic, what with Real Life rearing its big ugly head more than it should. I'll try to write a bit more often, by my muse is incredibly picky about when he stops by. (For those that don't know, a muse is like inspiration.) Anyway, drop a review if you care. Or don't, and enjoy the next fic.


	36. Yu Ten

_Requested by AvatarWolf_

**Yu Ten--Yue x Lu Ten**

I've heard death is different for everyone. For some people dying is like disappearing into a blaze of fire. Another once told me that it was comparable to a deep, sweet sleep. But most people describe it as having a black cloth tied twice over their eyes and never taken off.

Not for me. When I died, I began to see.

The life on earth--the life of biting nails and perpetual fear, of torn off limbs and holes through chests, of dust clouds and smells of death--that was no life. Being a soldier was murder in itself; even if you never fell during battle, the mere sight of all who did was enough to kill you. Although I didn't realize it, that's exactly what happened. Day after day I would wake up groggily from wherever I'd passed out, warm up my palms, and begin fighting again. How many lives of men did I steal? Ten? Twenty? More? Much more. After years of doing it became second nature, and the initial guilt faded.

These were my enemies: the men on the other side, who looked like me, talked like me, had families and loved like me, but bended an element not mine. Growing up in the Fire Nation Palace taught me that that a single difference between two people was enough to condemn one of them to death. Usually that condemned was the one that was fighting against the Fire Nation, for the Fire Nation always won. But could you really call such illogical hatred winning? We were tearing the world apart, ripping it to shreds little by little, destroying love and its brothers at all cost.

So in a way, I was more than relieved when that boulder smashed into me.

If I lived at all after that the memories are lost, for the next place I remember was of an island surrounded completely by mist. At once I knew this strange land not to be earthly, as the colors had drained from everything, leaving only black and white. There was no grey of a dying soldier, no red of blood, no bright, flickering orange of my fire. I believe I smiled and thought, wherever I am I think I'll stay. And I did. Not that I had any choice in the matter, because no one did, but I told myself that the only reason I was still here was I decided to. And because of her.

A young woman hugged her knees pitifully as she gazed out to the invisible, covered sea. I didn't feel the sand beneath my toes, nor miss the heartbeat that would have pounded, had I been alive. Long white hair tumbled over her shoulders; frosted eyes turned slightly toward me when I sat next to her. She seemed so familiar...where had I seen her before? It took many moments to remember that this was Princess Yue, daughter of one of the Fire Nation's worst enemies.

"Princess, forgive me. I should not stay." Her hand grabbed mine as I got up to leave.

"Why not?" She asked mournfully. "I'm lonely here. You ended with me for a reason, you know."

"No, I don't," I said slowly. "I'm sorry, but it is not right for a descendant of the Fire Lord to talk to--"

"Talk to who?" Yue raised her eyebrows. "Talk to a poor, dead girl? What is wrong with that?"

"Nothing," I started. "But--"

"Then sit." I hesitated, then obeyed. Yue sighed, looking up at the dead sky. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Isn't what beautiful, princess?"

"The moon," she answered simply, as if it was obvious enough everyone could see.

"There is no moon." How long did one person have to be trapped here to lose his mind? I wondered. "There's no anything."

"Sure there is." As she spoke, a shimmering white orb appeared where there had once been only empty darkness. "See? You made it."

"I did nothing, princess," I protested. "And you can let go of my hand now."

"Why?" She tightened her hold gently. "Stop worrying about that silly war, about the boundaries our parents' parents set, about whose Nation, whose race. Just enjoy the moment."

"But princess--"

"Shh." She leaned her head on my chest, probably half delirious, and raised one sleepy finger to my lips. "Just enjoy the moment."

I paused, then followed her gaze up to the sky. The moon shone from under no cover, sparkled from no restraints. Without smoke to rise in front of it, gas to taint its hue, it truly seemed a supernatural work of art. Perfectly chiseled and pure, this body of the afterlife hung high above us and lit a path of stars. The stars, which were certainly not there before, twinkled into existence one by one to form a perfect, curving line. They looped around twice and came together at the ends: a heart.

"We're the only ones who won't hate anymore," Yue whispered as she observed the masterpiece. One arm slipped causally around my waist; a small spirit pulled herself closer into me. "Do you like it?"

"It's...perfect."

And it was, it really was.


	37. Kataang 3

_Requested by AvatarWolf_

**Kataang 3--Katara x Aang**

Aang lies beside me, presumably asleep. I trace the outline of his collar sadly; not four hours ago he'd been murdered. Now he is still murdered, I suppose, but at least he's alive. I press one ear to his chest. Yes, he's alive.

Behind me Toph is resting her head on the shoulder of Sokka, who appears to be only half awake. He says nothing as I crawl through Appa's thick fur, grab my bag, and reach one hand inside. I look nervously to the Earth King, but he is happily nestled into Busco's warm coat. I can't help but smile.

My fingers brush the inside of my bag: a small rag, a length of think string, a few odd sketches done every now and again, a flat rock. The scroll--w_here is it?_

I duck my head to peer inside, but the light is so low that I'm no better off than before. My hand goes in again, but once more comes up empty. I know it was here somewhere! Where did I put it? Did it fall out? I turn the bag upside down, but there are no holes. Did someone accidentally take it?

"Sokka, did you--"

"Katara?" A small voice whispers. "Are you awake?"

I turn quickly to see Aang struggling to sit up. I help him, careful not to touch his back. "I'm awake. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." His cheeks tint slightly. "Is this yours?"

"Wha--oh." He is clutching the scroll. I breathe a sigh of relief, then hurried suck it back in. Oh no. Did he actually read it?

"Did you..." Aang nods slowly.

"Yeah." He looks ashamed. "I'm sorry, Katara. I thought it might have been something important."

It is important, but I don't say that out loud. Instead, I give him a reassuring hug. "It's all right. When did you take it?"

"While you were looking at Sokka." Aang brings his knees to his chest and blinks exhausted eyes. "Are you mad?"

I hesitate. "Of course not."

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"That is a rather strange thing to put in a library." He forces a laugh. "Someone must have been lovesick when he wrote that."

I don't let on how much that hurts me; neither do I tell him about how I stumbled upon the paper in Wan Shi Tong's library, hid it deep in my bag, and have read it every day under the stars since then. "Yeah."

Aang seems to sense something is wrong. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I brush a strand of hair from in front of my eyes. "Really."

"Oh." He stares out to the emptiness below as we soar above thick clouds and says nothing for a long time. Finally: "I shouldn't have read it."

"No, it doesn't matter." Gently I pry the scroll from him, for he seems reluctant to let go. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." His voice is a bit flat. "But I think I'll get some sleep."

He rolls over onto his side, and within moments his snores echo with the others. The urge to join him is there, but forcefully ignored; we both need space from each other tonight.

With the paper placed next to my heart I lie down in a soft tuft of fur and close my eyes. Waiting...waiting... When sleep doesn't come, I do what I've done for the past few troublesome nights--whisper the memorized words inked into the scroll:

_And with a cruel hand fate played against them._

_And with a fate only the unfortunate can hear,_

_The lovers that hailed from opposite nations,_

_spent their days lazily; laughed without fear._

_---_

_And though he was destined against his young will,_

_And she determined to help him pawn fate,_

_And though he'd long since fallen in battle,_

_She planted chaste lips down upon his face_

_---_

_With that the savior, once dead, and now up_

_Opened his eyes to cruel fate once more._

_And he looked grimly upon his once-been love_

_For he could not love the waterbender._

I smile sadly and take Aang's hand delicately in mine, sudden tears falling from the tips of my eyelashes.

_For he could not love the waterbender..._

_-------------------------------_

**joebob: **Sorry for not replying in the last fic. Anyway, you were right, sadly: pretty much all the drabbles posted are pointless. It's really sad that so much of the stories are biased for or against every other pairing out there. The writers usually think so much of their own pairing that they have to make really bad drabbles that no one wants to see (but some people are nice enough to leave a reply to, which simply encourages them more. Grr...). That's not to say that there aren't any really good drabbles out there, because there probably are. I just have yet to find any.

**Question to pretty much everyone: **Do you know of any really good AtLA (Avatar the Last Airbender) drabbles that actually make a point? If you do, feel free to recommend them. I may try my hand at a couple drabbles packed in to one chapter for the next update, hopefully making them good if I decide to do that. (And if I do, don't shoot me please.)


	38. Drabbles Smellershot and Hazula

_Drabbles for the pairings requested by chineseretard92 and joebob _

**Smellershot—Smellerbee x Longshot**

"He doesn't talk."

That's what the others say about Longshot. I hear what they call him: mute, dumb, idiot. But I know better.

I lean comfortably into his chest as we relax on the grass, that horrible, scratchy grass that turns my skin red. Longshot hates it, but he'll neither admit it nor leave me alone in the meadow; he knows how much the sunset means to me. We are silent as the sky deepens to yellow, pink, red, and the sun disappears into a fiery cloudscape. It winks at me secretively before it drops into night. A welcome hand strokes my hair gently as the moon dances out, twinkles among an audience of stars. Longshot makes me calm. He makes me think this way.

I like it.

My mouth presses gently on his, a sudden impulse that even Jet can't keep me from acting on. It feels good--soft, sweet, and warm.

_Longshot, can you talk?_

Not right now, he can't.

**Hazula—Haru x Azula**

Fire. That's all I see.

Fire in her face, fire in her step, fire in the suspicious glance she casts at me from the corner of her eye. The princess is made of fire, engulfed by it, controlled by it.

I want that fire.

She's responsible for the war, my father's disappearance, the death of the avatar, but all that melts into nothing right now because I want that fire. Bent over a large metal tub and up to my elbows in soapy water, I calmly watch her pass. What could possibly make her want to visit a small earthbending village like this one?

Late at night, I smell smoke, peer through a window, and see exactly why. All the buildings down the street are engulfed in flames, their roofs crackling, popping, tumbling down. The waft of burning thatch is an unpleasant one, I notice, scanning the streets for Azula. But she is long gone. She's already done what she set out to do.

I smile to myself.

_Fire._

----------------------------

Hmmm...I'm not sure whether I like how these came out or not. My self-esteem has been sort of low lately, especially since two readers removed this story from their favorites list. I hope that doesnt mean it's getting worse. Further analyzing is needed... I'll have to look into that.

Good day, everybody!


	39. Drabbles Jinko and Aunt Wuroh

_Drabbles of Requests of lilly1542 and Teoph!_

**Jinko--Jin x Zuko**

There's something about that scar.

There's something about Li's forbidden red mark that intrigues me. I don't know what is it, but it speaks--it speaks of danger, betrayal, lies. It's a curious thing that a simple peasant would be entranced, not frightened, not disgusted by these matters, but if you told me that, I would laugh in your face. Who are you to tell me whom to love? Who are you to tell me what to do?

See? From being around Li I have already developed a lust for excitement. And I must, I_ must_ know how he got that scar. I'll lean closer and ask him...yes that's it. Closer, closer, and suddenly his lips are connected to mine, move against mine in perfect harmony.

The lantern fountain is pretty tonight.

There are some secrets better left untold.

**Aunt Wuroh--Aunt Wu x Iroh**

Meng, my assistant, looks up sharply from my hand after she reads my palm. "Are you sure this is right? It says you're going to marry the next man your eyes seek, but--"

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows. Why does she seem so surprised? I may be past my prime, but there's never an age too old to love. I smile.

"Who will it be?" Meng asks breathlessly, glancing about, but the shop is full of women today, pretty young broads that hope for handsome husbands in their future. Unfortunately, I fear I shall predict a thousand deaths before any marriages. Too bad for them, then.

"Who will it be, indeed?" My gums show past wrinkling folds of skin. As the door slams open suddenly, I turn to see an angry looking boy sport a decorative scar and storm inside the building. Most of the women giggle and drift naturally towards him. Meng looks at me strangely, but my attention is on the strapping, elderly gent behind the first--General Iroh, famililar both from stories, and from the wanted posters outside my store. "Him."

"But the first--"

"Was just a boy, no more than sixteen," I say. "But that man behind him sure is an eyeful!"

The palm never lies.

------------------------------

I aplogize for the double dose of horrible drabbles. I had AvatarWolf's Yagni request all planned out, but this site kept messing up for me. I, stupidly assuming I wouldn't be able to update, put off writing today's installment and went to plan Fergaang instead. Then at about eleven o' clock I logged on and--_what do you know--_it's working. So I dropped my homework and I dropped the plans and even though I was about to go to bed I stayed up another hour working on these drabbles. I hope they're okay, and if they're not I'll try to make sure Friday's fic makes up for it. _Ciao._


	40. Fergaang

_Requested by True Thinker_

**Fergaang--Fergie x Aang**

(NOTE: I am usually against mixing the modern and avatar realms, but True Thinker has been a good reviewer and I had a plot bunny that wouldn't stop beating me with a carrot until I wrote this. So enjoy.)

The bright pink light swirled hypnotically in front of Aang. The mixture of colors--candy pink, rose pink, red-and-white-pink--entranced him to no end. Still, he could not silence the miniscule voice in the back of his mind that told him to stay away from the strange magical portal, which is what he guessed it to be, and run as far as he could in the opposite direction. Who knew--maybe it was another one of Azula's heinous plans.

Aang paused in front of the luminous contraption and turned to the young firebender at the controls. The controller narrowed golden eyes as she wondered if her plans had been prematurely unveiled, but relaxed, quickly remembering she was dealing with a twelve-year-old boy. When reasoning with such an opponent, swirling pink lights always won.

"Are you Azula? I just have to be sure."

"No," Azula lied, shaking her head. "I'm Zuko in a dress."

"But you're wearing pa--"

"Enough talk!" Aang looked slightly taken aback at her outburst. "Ready to go for a ride in the swirly pink light that could possibly be dangerous and lead to the mass genocides of all nations excluding Fire Nation, because we're incredibly smart, and the Air Nomads, because they weren't smart at all, and leave behind your friends which have mysteriously disappeared and are not locked in the overthrown King Bumi's not-so-newly-anymore refurbished chamber being hung by their scrawny little necks?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

And Aang passed his hand through.

-------------------

The royal avatar behind was the first thing to hit, bruised and reddened by the oiled floors that suddenly smacked against it. Aang groaned--_what happened--_then picked himself up unsteadily. That light, that swirling, trusting, alluring pink light--did it have something to do with this? Could a suspicious pink light that his thinly disguised archenemy had constructed out of nowhere and placed conveniently in a technologically-impaired era have affected him in any way?

Nah, Aang figured. He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

But where was that music coming from? He'd never heard anything so loud and, quite frankly, annoying. And those lyrics--

_"T" to the "A" to the "STEY"... "T" to the "A" to the "STEY". Girl you tasty, tasty!_

And raised his eyebrows. 'Tastey?'

Realizing he was surrounded by a group of overly exited teenagers, he frowned and joined the crowd. Because everyone's stares were directed at some sort of platform in the middle of the arena, he looked that way too. His jaw slacked as the singer on stage--the listeners were shouting 'Fergie'--seemed to swish her hair, smile, curve her lips at him. Only at him. Something in Aang's hormone-infested body caused his brain to pause, his heart to skip a beat, and a small trickle of saliva to slide unnoticed down the corner of his mouth.

A young man next to Aang elbowed him jokingly in the side. "She's tight, ain't she?"

"What?"

"Love to have her as my shorty, so fine." He winked. "Wouldn't we all?"

"Shorty?" Aang parroted, confused. "She's taller than I am."

"No worries about that. I'm sure she likes miniature candies, too." The man laughed.

Although Aang had no idea what he was talking about, he smiled and leaned over the side of the balcony for a better look. At least twenty feet of empty space separated him from the ground, but he'd been higher. Even if the distance had been a hundred miles, he thought, he'd still watch her. Not that he had any choice but to stay of course; as far as he knew, he'd be stuck in the 21st century forever.

_I'm sure she likes miniature candies too._

He certainly hoped so.

-----------------------------

This is a crack! pairing (obviously) and not meant to be taken seriously in any way. If you want to flame, go ahead, but I already put up this message.

**TrueThinker: **You're right. There would be irony in Mai x Weird Al. (And twitching, but that would mostly be me.)

**joebob: **Thank you! I'll have to check out The Eye of Angor, just to see what it's like. If it's as bad as you say, maybe it'll make me feel better.

**Zutarafan16: **Okay, technically I could've just hit the 'reply' button to you, but I rather like putting review replies at the end of each story. It makes me feel special. -insert stupid grin here- Anyway, maybe that wasn't my lucky day. But, once again, a rabid plot bunny appeared and sunk its rabid plot bunny teeth into my neck and I couldn't shake it off until I wrote a, er, _different _Haru (read: crazy, taking the same drugs Zuko was during the season two finale. Joke.) in love with Azula. Sorry if you don't like it, then.

**Childe at Heart: **Thank you. I'm not too crazy about any of my writing, (a self-esteem issue I need to mercilessly beat into submission) so it's nice to know someone likes them.

**AvatarWolf: (**Okay, everyone is probably tired of the notes at the bottom of my fics, but I like them, sorry. All right, no more after today. Probably.) Sadly, I've seen reviews like that (OHEMGEE!1!ONE! A MILLION WAYS- ONEFOURTHREE!!) and I don't think the reviewer was kidding. -shudder- I think I just lost some brain cells reading that one.

_Lyrics to Fergalicious belong not to me, but to someone that is not me. Unfortunate, I know. Snippet from lyrics attained from the internet. Yay internet._


	41. Yagni

_Requested by AvatarWolf_

**Yagni--Yue x Agni**

--Takes Place During Siege of the North--

Three blinks.

That's all it takes to fall in love.

When I open my eyes the first time, the world as I know it is fading away: The palace, the pond, Sokka, wonderful Sokka, begin to dissolve into darkness. All I see is the hypnotic swirl of Tui and La as they dance in the cool water round each other, one black, the other opposite. They're so serene, so rhythmic, but figures of my imagination. No one else sees the ghosts swimming in an abyss, for the spirits' true forms are lying still, dead. The color is gone from the world, drained into empty silence. Though I cannot see the others, I sense that no one around me is breathing as I realize what must be done to save my tribe, to make the earth reborn. I will join the moon sprit.

I close my eyes.

After a second they flutter open, and this strange place whispers of memories. I've never been here before, but it seems I've always been meant for it, my home. The rush of a nearby waterfall, although voluminous, is the calming music of ages. Nature, it is, the bare beauty that few have a chance to see. Under my feet rolls grass, which I stoop gently to pat. It's the softest blanket, I think, curling up alongside a silvery pond, and dip my fingers into the water... It's time to leave for good.

When my eyes open for a third time, everything has changed; when has there been a time when it has not? But this new world I have entered, there is no floor, yet I'm not falling; there are no walls, but I am trapped. On the whole, it's not a very wonderful feeling, because at any moment I might slip on the air, at any moment I might collapse into darkness, at any moment I might...

A thousand fears.

And they all vanish with one touch.

It's a strong arm around me that relaxes my ever-tense, once-beating heart, and the waft of a sudden companion that melts me. What is that scent? It smells manly, so I couldn't have sniffed it on Sokka, and it carries a hint of burning wood. Maybe birch? Cinders rub onto my palm as I lift a hand to the stranger's chest. His face, so grimly set, it's as if I've heard of him, never seen him, know him. Where..._where_?

A blaze of fire glows from him to illuminate what before has been shadows. The light splashes against the sides, reveals a world of indescribable dreams. Without him saying it, I see everything here is for me, his identity clear. Agni, the god of fire, is embracing me like I'd assumed no descendant of fire could. Yet his kindness, his warmth, his subtle love... I wrap my fingers tentatively around his waist, then tighten them as he does his around mine. My eyes close, perhaps forever.

Four blinks.

So be it.

----------------------------------

Unfortunately, I think that Chapter Fifty will probably be the last chapter posted on here, or at least for a long while. It's not that I want to leave, but I think it best to take a break from fanfic to work on some original fiction. My next attempted novel will be, let's see... seventh serious try at writing a novel, only one of which so far have reached a good deal over 50,000 words, and none of them finished. Perhaps when (or if) I finish the first book, I might come back to the world of fanfiction. I will miss it terribly much. But it's time for a break.

The battery still hasn't come in yet, but I can finish the remaining nine stories on the desktop, like I'm doing now.

**TrueThinker: **I think the first set of lyrics is from the Fray: Over My Head, (I can't really stand that song now) but I'm not quite sure of the others. As it's late, I don't really feel like looking them up, and I'm sure you'll tell me anyway. And if you don't, I will have to retreat to my corner and cry. -sob-

And I have heard that song, "You're Beautiful". It's really pretty.

**JET COME BACK: **Phew, that's good to know. Nice to have a second opinion, after al--wait... What if you're both 43-year-old men! Or worse, what if you're fifty-seven! Ah, the horror! Must...go...call...police...before...too...late Ack!

-wipes foam from mouth- Terribly sorry about that.

**ara: **Thank you, I was sad also. "Funny phrase"... interesting, never quite thought of it as funny but I suppose it could be if you read it the right way. And why wouldn't Fergie fall for a 112-year-old monk with arrows on his head (and who knows where else) and who is supposed to save the world and can do some type of Freaky Bender Magic?! I'd leap all over Aa--actually no, never mind. Fergie can have him.

**Teoph!: **Yeah, I'm thinking of getting a band-aid for that 'ouch'. -grins- Okay, I'm lame.


	42. Jinet

_Requested by AvatarWolf_

**Jinet--Jet x Jin**

(NOTE: Since it's nearing the end, I figured I might as well take a chance and do a dialogue fic. Please say if you do not like it, for I will understand.)

"Nice day...for murder."

"You don't mean that, Jin. A silly little tea girl, how could you talk of killing?"

"I've heard things, you know. About the Fire Nation. About the avatar. About us."

"Who cares?"

"...!"

"Er, about the Fire Nation, that is. Not us, dear, we're that important."

"They're gaining power. Soon the world as we know it could end."

"Again."

"Yes...again."

"..."

"Say, would you like another cup of tea, Jet? I can hop to the back of the store to fetch one, you know. That is, if you'd like one, because otherwise--"

"I'm fine, Jin, really. But you still haven't been able to get wretched Ba Sing Se customs out of your head, have you? Tsk, tsk."

"I don't like it when you click your tongue at me."

"Tsk."

"Please stop."

"Tsk, tsk."

"I asked you to stop."

"Tsk, ts-- OW!"

"I'm sorry, but I asked you to stop."

"You didn't have to slap me. And see, you've made me lose my straw."

"You know, I used to like the boy who worked in this shop. His name was Li, I think, and he had the strangest scar, but he was so nice to me. We went to the fountains on our first date, and he gave me a coupon. Wasn't that sweet?"

"Are you trying to make me jealous."

"Not at all."

"Because it's not working."

"Are you sure?"

"..."

"I said, are you sure?"

"...Yes!"

"Just checking. Have you seen Longshot around lately? He skipped out of here after the Bei Fong robbery and Smellerbee ran after him. That Smellerbee, he confuses--"

"Smellerbee is a girl, haven't we been over this? You're supposedly the _second _most notorious criminal this side of the city, yet you can't even remember the important facts about your accomplices. Give me my straw back."

"I don't have it."

"It's in your hand."

"Oh. So it is."

"Then give it back."

"I don't think so. I have something stuck between my teeth that just won't come out, and--"

"Give it!"

"Ah, there it is. Wait, it's not out all the way, I have to--"

"Agh! You're infuriating!"

"Fine, here you go. I wonder if they've closed the shop that used to be next to Kin Katet's. I used to love going there, but business lately seemed awfully thin--"

"You've changed."

"Stop cutting me off, Jet."

"I said you've changed. And you've still got the general air about you, but the way you think is different. Has that Dai Li gotten to you, too? Why, I'll travel to the bottom of the lake and rip Long Feng's heart out through his throat, make him eat it, then stuff it up his nostrils if he's still up to his old ways."

"That sounds graphic."

"So you like it?"

"Have you seen today's newspaper?" 

"Does it talk about us?"

"It says, 'Infamous couple Jet and Jin, ringleaders of the Freedom Fighters, have recently committed yet another crime: the successful robbery of the Bei Fong family. Sources are on the case, including one unconfirmed contributor lurking under the pseudonym Blind Bandit. Blind Bandit is lightly suspected of contributing to the robbery, much attributed to his or her name, but has made it his or her goal to catch the Freedom Fighters...'"

"That's pathetic."

"You don't have to laugh. Someone really cares about us... Perhaps I'll fix them a cup of tea when they arrive."

"Now you're smirking."

"Well, whoever it is, they sure have another thing coming if they think to challenge us!"

"Yeah, Jin, but--what was that?"

"I don't know, but the ground is shaking!" 

"What's happening? It's really loud! I can barely hear myself talk!"

"I can always hear you talk!" 

"Hey, well--is that what I think it is?" 

"The table...it's...it's...it's swirling into the ground!"

"Not just the table, everything!"

"Then it's a..." 

"...A..."

"...Whirlpool!"

"Fishtails!"

"Watch your mouth!"

"Mwahehehehehehehahahahchucklechortlegrinsmiwkhahah! The Blind Bandit has wreaked her revenge! Have fun sinking, you two! Heehee!"

"Jet...it's Toph, isn't it!"

"Double fishtails!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those that didn't read Chapter 41, I am taking a break from Avatar fanfiction to work on some original fiction (and possibly Remus x Sirius fanfiction under Harry Potter, and Kyo x Yuki under Fruits Basket, but that's an entirely different story). Chapter 50 will be the last chapter, or at least for a while. A long while.

**TrueThinker: **'getting old' ...uh-_huh _

evanescence--everybody's fool

the fray--over my head (whoops, I meant to say this)

weird al--your horoscope for today

Carrie Underwood--some hearts

HA! 

I'd love to see some of your original fiction, like if you have it published online somewhere. I love to read other people's works.

**The Laughing Phoenix: ** Interesting penname, by the way. I like it. Thank you, it's good to know I'll be missed.

**Zutarafan16: **Smooth, very smooth. I'd add my own corny joke, but for the first time in my life I can't think of one. -gasp-

-----------------------------

And where I ask, are AvatarWolf and joebob? Two updates and I haven't seen either of them. -laughs- That's all right. Hi guys, if you're out there.


	43. Lunaang

_Requested by Zutarafan16_

**Lunaang--Luna x Aang**

--ALERT! Don't recognize the name Luna? That's because this is an Avatar-Harry Potter Crossover. Ye be warned, if you haven't READ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna Lovegood will be just some random girl.--

"Neville did this, didn't he?" Hermione clucks her tongue. "I told him not to mess with the _Hollium _charm, and now he's gone and put a spinning hole in the wall."

"There are Knargles on the other side," I say airily. "I just know it. Then Harry will have to believe me. Let's have a peek!"

"Do I look like the type of girl who would climb into a hole in the wall?"

"I'll go in anyway, it seems like fun." As I begin to climb through, a chip of brick snags on my jeans. The more I force myself in, the more my pants rip. No matter, it was hot anyway, and now I'm getting a pair of shorts along with an adventure. What fun!

My shoe is the last thing to come through the opening of the hole, which disappears immediately after my foot slides in completely. Is this the Room of Requirement? I don't remember it being so...dark.

Draco must have extinguished all the lights on this hallway, I reason. He and Peeves were probably playing a game of hide-and-seek and Draco wanted to win. Perhaps there were a few Knargles involved too. How exiting! I continue on, but where does this passage lead?

There! It opens into a cavernous area, blue on top like a reflection of the ocean with puffy things that look like clouds and those animal-like creatures over there that seem like birds. I stand in the opening, gazing out to the thing that would, to the average spectator, be sky, but I know better. The top expanse of blue is the result of what happened when Stubby Boardman (who is really Sirius Black, don't you know) misfired a jelly legs charm. And that green stuff below is from when a group of evil fairies got caught in a tub of jello for their wicked deeds. My father published an entire article about that in the Quibb--

What's that?

At first glance it's a bison, but there have only ever been forty-four-and-a-half accounts of flying bison ever reported in London, and forty-three-point-two of them were reported by muggles that subsequently had their minds erased.

Wait, the animal is trying to send me a message! All that twisting and awful flying must be some sort of code!

"Hello there!" I call. "Do you speak English? Do you come in peace? Are you aware that you're about to crash into a field of evil-fairy-jello?"

"Yes, yes, and what?" The driver tugs fiercely on the reins for control, then swerves the bison and coasts over to me. "Who are you?"

"Ooh, I'll come!" Without waiting for an answer, I leap aboard behind the strangely tattooed boy. "Are you a wizard?"

"You mean a bender?" For a moment, the boy looks confused. "I'm Aang. I'm the avatar!"

"That sounds intriguing. What happened to your hair?"

"I'm bald." Aang stares at me strangely. "I'm a monk."

"Oh." I lean back into a tuft of fur, which is surprisingly warm and scratchy. "Where are we going?"

Aang unfurls a roll of parchment, a detailed map of some sort of flat other world. I dig in my robes to offer him a Quick Quotes quill, but realize I fed the last of them to a small boy named Colin. Or perhaps it was Dennis. Either way, the one that threw up owes me a sickle.

Aang traces a path with his finger. "I'll fly here to find Hakoda, with whom Katara and Sokka will be, then back over here for Toph, and hopefully the four of us be able to take out Azula somewhere over _here._ What are you doing?"

"Drawing."

"Drawing what?" He tries to peer at my paper, but I cover the rough sketch with my free hand.

"Drawing you. Now hold still."

"Me?" I nod. "Really?" The beginnings of a blush creep to his cheeks.

I smile back reassuringly. Then I ink in a pair of fangs.

--------------------------------------------------

**To any potential reviewers: **I'd really like some feedback on the mechanics of my writing: how it flows, how it sounds, tips for improving, what I need to work on, etc. This is really important to me, now more than it's been before, and it would mean so much if I could have some constructive feedback. I'm not begging, but please.

-X-

Seven more chapters to go, and I'd like suggestions for Chapter Fifty. Something interesting, workable, and preferably within the Avatar fandom. May take a vote in two weeks, after Chapter Forty-Nine. For the next six requests I'll be flipping through the reviews to the requests I was going to do but never got around to. Lee x Meng is definitely a major possibility. Now I just have to find who requested it.

**Childe at Heart: **Oh no. I am so embarrassed by the Pirates of the Caribbean stories I posted. I was such a n00b (still kind of am. It's only been what, eight months?). Please don't think less of me because I posted some vomit-worthy fanfic.

**Zutarafan16: **Thank you. The only HP one I have now is the Remus x Sirius, but I may post others. I might be floating around for a while yet, accumulating plot bunnies. The HP fandom is pretty fun to dabble in.

**True Thinker: **I totally meant to say that...if I didn't. I don't remember and yes, I really do want to see some of your work. Jinet was supposed to be funny. Is that a problem? -quirks eyebrow-

**JET COME BACK: **Thank you. I like the second one better by a mile.


	44. Leeng

_Requested by Libowiekitty_

**Leeng--Lee x Meng**

Young love. They say it's the most innocent, the most pure, the most unconditional kind of affection possible. The bond between a girl and a boy, a fortuneteller's assistant and a desolate peasant, a heartbroken lover and an accidental warrior, is unrivaled; none dare challenge matters of the heart. So when Meng looked up sadly from her tray and her eyes connected with those of a short lad her age, she didn't think to question the sudden onslaught of feelings.

"Hello!" She blushed as she struggled stay level-headed. "There normally aren't any boys around here. What brings you to Aunt Wu?"

Lee bit his bottom lip.

"Anyway, I'm Meng." The girl cowered behind her confident smile. "Do you want me to tell you your fortune?"

Lee's eyes widened, despite his determination to save face. "You can do that?"

"Of course." Meng took his hand warmly in her own and led him inside the shop. "I can do anything."

**-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

That was how their relationship started; once it began, its resemblance matched that of a snowball barreling down a frosted a hill: unstoppable. But would either admit their friendship sparked something? Would either of the two children, one who'd lost her love to another and one who'd been tricked by a Fire Nation prince, open their hearts again? They'd both been betrayed.

_And yet_, Lee thought over a bowl of jook, _there is something about this girl._

"Hey." Meng, cross-legged, popped a dry nut in her mouth. "Has anyone told you that you have big ears?"

Lee's cheeks reddened, and he immediately hid the gap between his two front teeth, lest they be ridiculed as well. "Well has anyone told you that you have strange hair?"

Meng, leaning over the dinner dishes with a smile, strangled him in a friendly hug. Now this was love.

**-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

A first kiss is always awkward. Usually there is the bumping of hands, the craning of necks, the embarrassed, _"Where does this go?"_ sort of panic. There's rushing and blushing and perhaps a couple of misses. Usually.

But when has their love ever been usual? The first kiss between Meng and Lee was more of a knife that a seal of their love, a dagger to open their hearts to the human race. The relationship Meng lost in the Avatar, the friendship Lee revoked of Zuko--was their betrayal really a bad thing? The discouraging events brought together two children at last, and perhaps, _perhaps_, it was meant to be this way.

Lee accidentally tangled his hand when he attempted to run it through Meng's thick hair, and there was the blushing so long overdue. Meng helped him get it out gently, entwining her own fingers with his in the process. Her skin against his was so warm, so comforting, so welcoming...

They both saw it coming, though neither was prepared. And, after the half-second when they pulled away from each other, Lee leaned toward her again.

------------------------------------------------------

Please critique my writing. Tear it apart, bash it, throw it in flames--I just want to get better. If you hate everything about it, please leave a description of why. I can't improve if you're not honest.

**TrueThinker: **Oh, thank you. You really should post some of your writing somewhere. I'd love to read it. The second tip is a nice tip, although I may not be fond of the smell of cookies after I've smelled like them for...ever. Ah, well. I don't have any games, because I'm completely uncreative, sans fiction.

Jetzula. Sweet.

**AvatarWolf: **Why thank you, then. -bows- I aim to please.

**StarDragon411: **Cute? Definitely. Likely? -sigh-

**amaurea3000: **They are, aren't they? I never really thought about it, but they're both rough-and-tough (and probably lonely) souls perfect for pairing together. Ha!


	45. Jetzula 2

_Requested by TrueThinker_

**Jetzula 2--Jet x Azula**

From the Oh-So-Conscious Thoughts of Princess Azula

You are inferior.

You will bow down to me.

I hate that thing in your mouth--is it straw?

Remove it at once, peasant!

You protest.

_You_ protest!

You _protest!_

No one opposes the princess.

Haven't you learned that, mongrel? Remove it.

And on your knees at once!

Hmm…

Who is this Longshot of whom you speak?

One of your gang, I presume.

Your "posse".

No staring! Haven't you ever seen anyone do air quotes before?

I didn't say you could shake your head!

You will be punished, peasant!

No, not death. That's too nice.

_No staring!_

A different sort of punishment...

Stand up, Sir Freedom Fighter.

Take it like a man.

No, no, don't worry.

You'll like this.

From the Terrified Mind of Jet

You think you're so tough.

I can make threats too, but they mean nothing.

Your nails:

They can pierce my skin all they want.

They can dig into my wrist but it--

_ouch!_

--doesn't hurt.

You can glare.

It only makes your eyes look squinted and ugly.

Yes, I'm laughing! What will you do about it?

Oh.

_Oh!_

You beast, what are you--

Let go of my shirt!

No, stop pulling me!

I don't want us to be this close!

What is your problem?

No, I don't want to "play".

See? I can do air quotes too.

And stop smirking! That's the sign of the beast, evil.

Evil!...

...Oh, wow.

You're a good kisser.

You and Prince Zuko must have practiced on each other a lo--

Ow!

Fine, your nails hurt.

But you won't--

(…)

(…)

(…)

--win!

-------------------------------------------------------

Just a little something different. What is fanfic without risks?

**TrueThinker: **Does that answer your question?

Oh, and nice character, by the way. She just radiated 'Mary Sue'. I may use someone like her as my character in roleplaying.

**Taffy Cat: **Thank you! I'll try to do Azula x Suki soon; they really are a nice pairing. Well, perhaps not nice, but _interesting. _You really think I'm talented? Thank you again!

**HeartofFire-SoulofWater: **Really? You think I have talent? I've been feeling kind of self-conscious about my writing lately, wondering if I'll ever be good enough to post longer fics. I hope to improve, so that I can honestly believe I am at least a tiny bit talented. (Perhaps one percent?) Oh, and I was looking through your profile--I like Nickelback, too! Sorry, that was a little off topic, but I just had to drop that in there.

And yes to your requests!

**Avatar Wolf: **Yeah, I replied with an explanation of Lee, if you read the reply. Thank you for being such a faithful reviewer! I love when people review to every chapter, it makes me feel good inside.

**joebob: **No, don't worry about it. That's quite all right, I understand. Yeah, I will be kind of sad to end this, but other things are calling me. I may post some other chapters to it later, but not as regularly as now (which is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I think). I may pop up a few times here and there, you know, but I might move to the Harry Potter fandom after a while.


	46. Kazuluki

THE FEMME

_With requests by HeartofFire-SoulofWater and Taffy Cat_

**Kazuluki**--Katara x Azula x Suki

WARNING: Same-Gender pairing ahead. Read at your own risk!

The morning began fairly well, the same as usual, with hidden kisses, rushed hugs, and overall very minimal heartbreak. Katara, kneeling by the bed, wrapped her arms around the princess, bent her head close to Azula's ear, and whispered the same solemn words against tender flesh.

"Do you love me?"

"That's silly." There was no hesitation. "Hurry home."

Katara's spirits sank as her lover of three weeks pulled back, allowing her just enough room to wriggle away. With a downcast smile, the waterbender obeyed, and scampered through the large oak doors that led into the front hall. When she'd closed the entrance securely behind her, she sank to her knees.

Once, just once, she wished the princess would answer her question.

**X-X-X-X-X-X**

Suki had always been taught to abstain from temptation. The task had proved difficult, sometimes near impossible, but she managed to shake off the devil snake that forever laced her shoulders. Whether that meant turning away from a boy or keeping her head down when one of her friends changed clothes, she obeyed. Though the struggle was hard, she refused to stray from her beliefs.

It was a lost cause now.

Not even a mother's touch compared to the sensual tickle of Azula's arms around her waist, the steamy breath that splayed over her skin. Her hair had long since fallen loose, as had her precious sanity. How on earth had she wound up here, _here, _hereof all places? As if it mattered.

The door clicked open.

**X-X-X-X-X-X**

The mere expression on Katara's face was nearly enough to make Azula surrender. The soft quiver of her bottom lip almost melted the princess, or would have had the intrusion not happened while Azula was so obviously busy. She was still grasping a frazzled Suki just above the pants, and found herself narrowing her eyes because she'd not been ale to proceed. An entire morning of sneaking and planning, trickery and cunning completely wasted. She let go of the warrior disgustedly.

"Is there something you wanted, Katara?" Azula's tone was biting harsh. "Shouldn't you be with the avatar now? After all, that's what you said." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, did you lie to me? I thought we agreed when you wrangled me into this relationship that we'd both tell the truth. Always." Seeing that Katara bordered speechless, she continued. "You broke your promise, you know, which makes me liable to break mine."

"Wha-what promise? Azula, what's going on here?" Suki started to stand up unsteadily. "Why is she here? Why am I here? Why--"

"Don't worry about it, love." With her claws piercing Suki's wrist, Azula forced herself onto her newest victim. "You're going to like this more than she ever did."

Swallowing a cascade of tears, Katara turned quickly and ran the other way. She should have known.

------------------------------------------------------------------

**Sapphire Wolf Master: **Thank you! I really liked the Youzula chapter, so that is a possibility.

**Taffy Cat: **I was going to use the memory loss, but it didn't exactly fit in with the Katara x Suki x Azula storyline. That's too bad, because it could've been pretty funny.

**Childe at Heart: **This is practically a yes to Zuko x You. I mean, I already did Youzula, so it has to be balanced!

**HeartofFire-SoulofWater**: Thank you! I find it really hard to continue a long story. Usually I write the first twenty to fifty thousand words, but I get bored before I finish. Once I got to fifty thousand, and with only three thousand more words to go I completely lost my inspiration and quit. Ugh.

**whatever you wanna call me: **Urskoda, never heard that one before. Seeing as it would make Zuko and Katara stepsiblings, I think it would render Zutara completely worthless. Who wants to ship stepsiblings? Ick, incest! That would be fortunate for the Kataangers, though.

**joebob: **Woot for the farce! Short and sweet.


	47. Katoph

_Requested by __Xgamerkf_

**Katoph--**Katara x Toph

WARNING: Same-gender.

Blind. What is blind?

**B**orn to a pair of rich dolls who were always lording over me, I never realized what life could be like. For years, my home was the Bei Fong estate, and I never knew anything better; now I look back on how my parents forced me to live, and want to hate them for it. But I cannot, because _she _will be watching, and when I lose my temper, _she _will the one shaking her head at my foolishness.

**L**aughing is what I was doing the first time I felt her presence. The glory had not yet ebbed from my victory over the Boulder, when my newest opponent stepped into the ring. The only reason I lost was because of _her_, I'm sure of it! If that waterbender girl hadn't been seated right behind the avatar, cheering, my concentration wouldn't have been broken--my reputation would still be intact! But no matter how hard I try, it's impossible to stay angry with Katara.

**I**n the bottom of one of my bags, there is a drawing. Its edges are torn and the ink has smudged on my fingers, but as long as the picture is still mostly okay it will stay hidden beneath my other belongings. I worked to no end to create what I thought she looked like, which is incredibly difficult without sight. When the paper is in my fingers, I see it without actually seeing it. No eyes except mine have gazed upon it, and no eyes except mine will view it until after my death. Or theirs.

**N**o one will know. That's the only way to prevent a broken heart: keep your feelings secret, especially if you've not quite figured them out yourself. I've far from deciphered what goes on in my heart, because there is too much wanting and waiting and frustration and sudden flutters. That's not counting the rare moments when she touches my arm, my hand, my face, when my pulse beats out of my wrist, beads of sweat drip into my eyes, and something pounds so hard I can barely hear my own breathing go double the usual. Katara probably thinks I'm disgusting, and yes, she's probably right.

**D**reams are what keep me sane, but drive me insane. My nights are plagued with wonderful thoughts of shared feelings, desires, fulfillments. She's always there, sometimes with a warm smile and other times with a seductive smirk, and her hair is down. It hangs in her face and against mine. Our noses touch, her eyelashes flutter on my cheek, her voice hangs softly in the short air between us. In my dreams, I can see. In my dreams, she loves me. In my dreams, she puts a finger under my chin and pulls me close into a hug. It's never more than that. I don't want more than that.

All I want is her.

-----------------------------------------

Yes, I know that's cliché but no, I don't care.

**TrueThinker: **That's _very_ Azula (the bottom part of it, your version).

**Ara: **Neither does your response. "Whatsoever" is one word, go look it up. Pwn.

**HeartofFire-SoulofWater**: Thank you! As of now, Youzuko is scheduled for Chapter Fifty.

**Taffy Cat: **You don't have to thank me--you requested, so I did it. At least someone liked it. (For an example of someone who thought it made no sense, take a look at the reply 'ara' left.)

**JET COME BACK: **Aah! You ruined Naruto for me! I finally got the books and was reading the end of book three (episode 27) where Haku 'killed' Sasuke. I was like, "No! Sasuke, Naruto needs you, don't die!" But then I remembered someone said he wasn't really dead, which kind of ruined it. I think I'd heard it before though, so it wasn't completely ruined. I ended up saving all my tears for Zabuza and Haku's deaths. And boy, I sobbed my heart out over Haku. I loved him! He was such a great character.

**Zutarafan16: **Thank you! Sorry, I can't really think of anything better to say, but you've been a wonderful reviewer.


	48. Bosco x Ostrich Horse

_Requested by knittingpanda_

**Bosco x Ostrich Horse**

It was the classic romance story: tamed beast and unwanted innocent. They lived separate lives, which collided and brought them together with a love that rivaled that of Sokka and his boomerang. Both animals agreed that they never had loved and never would love anyone quite so much as the other; and, had they been able to speak, this would have been a very sweet statement indeed.

Prince Bosco remembered the day he first laid eyes on his soon-to-be princess, as that memory is nestled fondly in his heart. His cocoa bean colored mane had become quite tangled to the extent where even the Earth King couldn't fix it, and both were about to die from the sheer humidity of that afternoon. A bear is really not made for the wild, you know, it's all a myth. Bosco, unfortunately, had no choice whether or not he'd rather be dying on a bison from the heat or inside the kingdom having peeled grapes dropped meticulously into his open jaws, for the wild life had snatched up him without warning. It wouldn't let go! Though he was merely a pampered bear, Bosco felt that the entire world had shifted out of place, leaving only him, his master, and the four odd looking children seated around them. For him, there was no where to go but down.

Enter Ostrich Horse (who we will, for the sake of clarity, call Myrna), a confunded soul separated from her previous owners. She recalled that one of the two men had been especially prone to mood swings and the other extremely aged, but fire was what stood out most in her mind. The melting blazes that shot from their fingertips to the trees above once caused a great branch to snap in half and barely miss Myrna on its way down. The ground shook with the force, the air held heavy with noise, and a dozen of her tail feathers had been singed to ashes. After the pair deserted her, it was worse. Her stomach had sunken in from starvation because her source of food had fled, taking with it all hopes of her next meal. Because grass was not enough, Myrna grew weak.

Although Bosco was not one for skinny females, he had to make an exception when Appa landed at last, and a strangled cry rang out in the distance much like that of an animal after it's been stabbed; or Sokka's horribly failed attempts at holding a note. Bosco leapt from the bison to the ground almost immediately, knowing only one thing: that he had to find the source of that terribly pitched squeal and shut it up.

It is terribly cliché to use the term, "love at first sight", but there is simply no other way to put it. The bear and the ostrich horse couldn't shake hands, they couldn't give clumsy, embarrassed bows, and they most definitely couldn't ask each other's names, no matter how politely. No, instead Bosco resorted to the oh-so-classy sniffing of one's hind parts, and when he'd identified the strange creature as friend, he dragged Myrna by the neck back to camp.

"What," Sokka asked quietly to Toph, "are they doing?"

"By those sounds?" Toph was torn between being disgusted and being amused. "I'd say they're trying to mate."

Yes, love at first sight was simply the only way to put it.

------------------------------------------------

**HeartofFire-SoulofWater:** The reason I'll probably have to decline your request is because I already did Yagni. It's Chapter Forty-One.

**Zutarafan16: **Thank you! I'm not too proud of my other stuff on here, though...I think it's crap, to put it bluntly.

**Teoph!: **I try not to go above the K rating, and I don't--_can't _write smut. Sorry to disappoint.

**AvatrWolf: **Hmmm, I wonder who this could be. OMGLYKEHI!! to you, too.

**TrueThinker: **Oh, that's hilarious! And post some of your stuff on here too. If I'm still around, I'll probably read it.


	49. Shakozai

_Requested by TrueThinker_

**Shakozai**--Shakira x Ozai

Once a year, Fire Lord Ozai let his hair down. He removed the clip and comb from the top, and let the black silk cascade over his shoulders as it hadn't in so long. This was his freedom, his rebellion, the food that fed his inner child who was locked up for endless days and nights, beating against his metal cell. When Ozai let his hair down, the boy broke free.

He fluffed his mane before down dressing for bed, and caught a peek of himself in the mirror as he prepared to blow out the candle. Sometimes he wondered when on earth he'd found time to age, what with pampering his daughter and keeping his son at bay. He barely found time to eat anymore--was that a new wrinkle? It certainly hadn't been there last year, he thought, then smiled. His worries would lift soon enough.

There came a tapping at his window: six, then two threes, then six taps in a row. Ozai had become well acquainted with both the signal, and the person who slipped inside after he pushed open one of the panes.

"You're a bit later than usual," he reminded the young woman. "Usually you'd be the one to let my hair down. And my, have you gotten a bit plumper round the waist?"

"Who's to know?" The young woman cocked one eyebrow playfully, sympathetic lust pulling at the corners of her lips. She touched her fingers to his chest. "Certainly not you, Ozai. Don't you like some hips on your darling?"

Ozai's fingertips lit instantaneously with anticipation. "Roll your 'r's again."

"I'd rather not." The woman batted heavily made up eyes, which sparkled from the candle's soft glow. "Are we still talking about my hips?"

Ozai moved his hands farther down her back, but a playful smack stopped him from reaching his destination. He usually would have retaliated with sharp words and a slap across the cheek to warn his visitor not to press her luck, but not now. Now, he had to get another whiff of her wondrous perfume.

"Like it?" He nodded stiffly, barely able to stop himself from pressing into her neck. "It's the smell of burning wood."

"Oh, you know I love to hate that." Ozai lowered her slowly onto his bed, his breath splaying across her stomach, which was being exposed more and more each second. His fingers literally burned against her skin. He shifted closer--

"Sir, it's time to get up!"

Ozai's eyes snapped open, and he jolted from his magnificent fantasy. Upon touching his hair, he found that it was still stiffly up in its clip and comb. He grumbled, and wiped his eyes.

"Were you having the Shakira dreams again?" his assistant asked knowingly.

"Be gone!" Ozai hurled a ball of flame at the hated man, who barely managed to duck in time. "I have no dreams."

"Yes, sir." The assistant smirked behind his Fire Nation mask. "But you'll have a tough time convincing yourself of that."


	50. Youzuko

**Youzuko--** You x Zuko

"So." Zuko frowns. "What did you say you were, again?" His hands are folded tightly in his lap, his knuckles white and fingers clenched. He looks like he's going to say he's had enough, but you've only been talking to him for a minute--you still have plenty more to discuss!

"Me?" You feel a humble blush creep to your cheeks. "I told you already that it was a secret, silly Zuzu."

You expect him to return the shy blush, perhaps giggle at your apparent mysteriousness and duck his head. Though instead of acting ridiculous, he narrows his eyes; his scar looks even fiercer this way. You're not complaining: You've always liked a manly man with scars.

"That doesn't answer my question," Zuko growls, "though there are many more."

You've barely been listening. "Many more what? More troubles? More struggles? Oh my Gosh!" You feel your face redden angrily. "Azula is here, isn't she? I can feel her in the shadows!"

Zuko slowly massages his temples. "What are you talking about?"

Sensing his pain, you, of course, must rush to your beloved's aid; and offer security with your gentle touch alone, which you figure will have magic healing powers on the prince. You fling your arms lovingly around his strong, macho shoulders. "Do not worry, Zuzu. I will make it my vocation to single-handedly rid your tormented life of Azula, that evil bi--"

"Whoa!" Zuko's hand over your lips silences your claims. "You can't speak those words here. It's improper."

"Right," you say apologetically, moving his hand and slipping it into your own. "I forgot the rules of the Fire Nation. But I will study them well!" you assure him. "Then I will never embarrass you with my superior intellect and expansive vocabulary, especially not in front of that she-beast called your sister."

"You know," you continue energetically. "She'll be my sister too, once we get married."

Zuko blinks. "You and Azula are getting married?"

"No, Silly." You twirl one of his onyx locks round a finger, and sigh happily into his chest. "You and I are getting married."

There is a long, deadly silence.

"So," Zuko says again. "What did you say you were?"

--------------------------------

Well, that's the end (for now, at least). It's chapter fifty, woo! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

**AvatarWolf:** Thanks for being such a faithful reviewer! And that's all right, 'meh ist 2 lazeh' too.

**TrueThinker: **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

**joebob: **Is the oddness a good thing? I would hope so.

**Zutarafan16: **Oh, thank you!

**Pixar: **I actually would have done Topshot, but a bunch of people requested Youzuko first. I hope you like this one too.


	51. Topshot 2

**Topshot**--Toph x Longshot

"I have to go out."

Jet is looking straight at me.

I want to run.

---

I blink instead.

---

"It's with Katara."

Now Jet plucks a leaf from

the sill by the window.

It is still green,

even when he sticks it in his mouth.

---

Another blink.

---

"I need you, Longshot."

Jet looks desperate.

There are bags under his eyes.

His voice is low.

---

We've had this talk before.

I shake my head.

No.

---

"I'm ordering you."

It's not a question.

Jet isn't smiling.

"Entertain Toph for the evening."

---

I turn to go.

This will never work out.

But Jet stops me,

and his hand is on my shoulder.

---

I feel his nails in my skin.

"One night, Longshot.

Do this for one night."

---

I look at him again.

What am I supposed to do?

I don't know the girl.

---

"That doesn't matter."

Jet's hand waves in front of my face.

It is annoying.

"Do it anyway."

---

"It could be fun."

His leaf bobs between his teeth.

It's beginning to turn brown.

---

"And who knows?"

Jet starts to leave.

Another person enters.

"Maybe you could like it.

Or like her."

---

There's a different hand on me.

It's not Jet's.

The hand slides over my arm.

Then the back of my neck.

Then around my neck.

It is cold.

---

"You _won't_ like it."

The hand squeezes tighter.

Veins pop out, lungs gasp.

The new voice belongs to a girl.

The girl.

---

One by one, the lights in my head,

they dim.

There is one light.

But it is far away.

There's a tunnel between us.

The light is white.

---

The world rushes back.

Toph is grinning.

Her hand is looser around my neck.

"I nearly killed you, loser."

---

When is Jet coming back?


	52. Kataang, Zutara

**Kataang**--Katara x Aang

and

**Zutara**--Zuko x Katara

I gave everything up for you, you know.

I fought for you. I tried for you. I abandoned my master for you. I fell for you, Katara.

And I'm still falling. My heart is sinking down, down, forever down, and sinks further every time I look at you. I remember what it was like before, before when we'd exchange smiles, before when we'd share embraces, before when we cried together when no one was watching. The world has changed now: I know it, you know it, and _he _knows it.

He--because you're not alone anymore, Katara. As much as I wish it were just us two, happy and carefree above the clouds, it's not. There are the others, the ones I love but not love. Honestly, you're the only one I love.

For more than a year, I've wished you would say that to me. Now you turn your head to _him_ and whisper something in his ear. You're the only one that can make him blush and, just as the redness in his cheeks fades away, he gazes at you for a long, long time. Why do you let his lips touch yours like that? I've never come that close.

Call this jealousy.

After a moment it's over, and I can open my eyes again without wanting to throw up. Now I just want to cry. And I do, but you don't see it, because it's night and it's dark and you're too busy with _him_ to care about a little boy. Or an old man--sometimes I'm both.

The fur beneath me tickles my legs, and I place a hand to its warmth. Appa's gentle breathing says that he's tired, but not yet ready to land if I'm not. I glance back at Toph, who has one arm on Sokka's lap and you, who have fallen asleep in _his_ arms. Yes, I'm ready to land.

So the bison swoops down and, tugging on his reins, I wonder if you'd leave _his_ arms if you got wet, if I flew us through a thick cloud until your teeth chatter, your shoulders tremble, your skin turns blue--

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to think that.

I guess it's just...jealousy.

----------------------------------------------------------

Yes, I've been on hiatus for a long time. I still love this fic and will probably come back from time to time, so don't worry. If any of my fans are still here (if I ever had fans) then I have a question, kind of an offer.

**Writers--read on: **

If anyone likes my work, I'm looking for someone to be a writing partner, to collaborate with me on a story. I'd like to write a joint story with someone in Avatar, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Naruto, Fruits Basket, Death Note, Full Metal Alchemist, or Ugly Betty.

If you write in any of those fandoms, particularly Avatar or Harry Potter, and would like to write a fanfiction with me, either leave me a Private Message or say so in your review. As long as I have a way to contact you, such as through the site, I'd be willing to work with pretty much anyone.

I'm up for any events in the fanfiction (AU, slash, character death, etc) so if you'd like to work with me, feel free to ask.

Also, I'd be okay with original fiction. I post at fictionpress.

Wow, these notes have gotten pretty long. So let me say thank you to TrueThinker, joebob, and everyone, absolutely everyone, that has replied to my story. I hope you'll let me write one with you.


	53. Kataangst

**Kataang--**The Angst Edition!

He emerges from the ashes,

blackened

His arrow no longer glows

And he knows

But he wishes

you were here

To heal

His many wounds

---

Like the one in his heart

Pounding

Stinging

The pain it's bringing

Only lightens

with your touch

Your prescence is enough

---

Your footsteps tell a story

Of the morning

When you couldn't wait

You had to leave

You had to see

The old days

And the dawn

He sees that you are gone

--

And he falls

His heart breaks

He falls

Like he did before

Try to remember

When he fell in love with you

---

And his dusty cheeks

Are bloody

He can't speak

But to clutch at his dying heart

And say your name

_Katara._

_------------------------------------------_

A short poem about what happens when Aang loses the war and Katara suddenly loses faith.

Oh, and since joebob asked, I post a lot of my original fiction here:

www . freewebs. com / whitler-caldeira ((Without the spaces))

_That's my personal page, and it has more stuff than my other one. It has poems, fanfic, and original fiction. __Please sign my guestbook__, you don't even have to have an account! I love feedback._

and here:

www. fictionpress. com / alchemage

_I'd like to start a big project soon, a fantasy story. But it will be slash and rated M, so I'll probably have a few milder side-projects going at the same time. I have a notebook full of ideas for just about everything._


	54. Kataang Song

There's a glow

That settles o'er

Me when I look into your eyes

--

That's the glow

So sings my heart

When you catch me by surprise

--

I know it's

Impossible

That you will stand here by my side

--

But I don't care

Chances unfair

Because by no law I abide

--

_Not even my heart knows_

_How this song's supposed to go_

_But I think,_

_I think I maybe love you_

--

_If you will walk with me_

_Talk with me, and let me see_

_I know that I,_

_I know I'll truly love you_

--

I can't think

The world starts spinning

With the mere brush of our arms

--

But I keep quiet

Oh so silent

And to think I've come this far

--

I'd only dreamed

Of you and me

Thought it impossible and hard

--

But this my song

Still strings along

Woe like the laments of a bard

--

_Chorus_

--

Keep at bay

And then a day

I wonder should I really try?

--

'Cause a lost cause

Gets no applause

Forces the losing side to cry

--

Why do I whimper

Have to whimper

Oh whenever you walk by?

--

I cannot talk

But we still walk

Then I begin to fall behind

--

_Wishing I could call you mine_

_I'll f'rever stare into your eyes_

_And never say_

_Never say I've always loved you_

--

_Wishing I could call you mine_

_I'll f'rever stare into your eyes_

_And never say_

_Never say I've always loved you_

-O-

**Notes: **Aang's point of view. He just realized he loves Katara--and might never be able to have her.

I think this song can apply to almost any relationship. Are there any hopeless romantics among any of you readers? Do tell.


End file.
